Now Reading: Lucknow may see 4,000 heat deaths yearly by 2050: CEEW analysis
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Lucknow may see 4,000 heat deaths yearly by 2050: CEEW analysis
Lucknow is facing intensifying humid heat, with rising temperatures and humidity combining to create more dangerous conditions, according to an analysis by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water. The study of…
Lucknow is facing intensifying humid heat, with rising temperatures and humidity combining to create more dangerous conditions, according to an analysis by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water. The study of daily weather data from 2015 to 2024 found that Lucknow experienced 289 days of hot and severely humid conditions when the maximum temperature reached at least 35 degrees Celsius and humidity was 60% or higher.
The trend has worsened: Lucknow recorded 123 such days between 2015 and 2019, compared with 166 days between 2020 and 2024. The year 2020 saw the highest number at 45 days. Under a high-emissions scenario, the analysis warns, excess heat-related deaths in all age groups could rise by about 50% by 2050, reaching around 4,000 deaths annually.
Former IMD director general K J Ramesh attributed the rise to global warming, saying the Indo-Gangetic plains' low elevation and basin-like geography trap moisture. Environmental scientist Seema Javed said high humidity hinders the body's ability to cool through sweating, raising heatstroke risk even at lower temperatures. Experts called for greener urban planning and stronger heat action plans.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The CEEW estimate of 4,000 annual deaths by 2050 would make Lucknow one of India's deadliest cities for heat-related mortality, comparable to current excess death figures in Ahmedabad and Delhi during severe heatwaves. The Indo-Gangetic plains, home to over 400 million people, face a double burden: global warming raises peak temperatures, while irrigation and crop transpiration add moisture, pushing wet-bulb temperatures closer to the human survivability limit of 35 degrees Celsius. Lucknow's municipal heat action plan, first drafted in 2020, focuses on early warnings and cool roofs but lacks enforceable building codes or mandatory workplace heat protections. The next revision of the National Action Plan on Climate Change, due for submission to the UNFCCC, will need to incorporate city-level heat mortality targets if the 2050 projection is to be averted.
Source: hindustantimes.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
