‘Premature to attribute extreme heat solely to climate change’

Heatwaves more intense and are starting earlier than in past in India, says World Meteorological Organisation

As large parts of India and Pakistan experience scorching temperatures, the U.N.’s specialised agency on weather has said while it is premature to attribute the extreme heat in the two countries solely to climate change, it is consistent with a changing climate, with heatwaves starting earlier than in the past.

Extreme heat is gripping large parts of India and Pakistan, impacting hundreds of millions of people in one of the most densely populated parts of the world, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said on Friday.

It said that according to The India Meteorological Department, maximum temperatures reached 43 to 46°C in widespread areas on April 28 and that this intense heat will continue until May 2.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department said daytime temperatures are likely to be between 5°C and 8°C above normal in large swathes of the country.

“It is premature to attribute the extreme heat in India and Pakistan solely to climate change. However, it is consistent with what we expect in a changing climate. Heatwaves are more frequent and more intense and starting earlier than in the past.”

The global body said national meteorological and hydrological departments in both countries are working closely with health and disaster management agencies to roll out heat health action plans which have been successful in saving lives in the past few years.

“Heatwaves have multiple and cascading impacts not just on human health but also on ecosystems, agriculture, water and energy supplies and key sectors of the economy,” the WMO said adding that the risks to society underline why it is committed to ensuring that multi–hazard early warning services reach the most vulnerable.