Heatwave Alert
India could see an additional 15-40 unusually hot days each year in the next two decades due to accelerating climate change, compared to the 1981–2010 climatic baseline, according to projections by CRAVIS, a new AI-powered climate intelligence platform developed by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW).
Unusually warm nights are also projected to rise by 20-40 days annually in several regions, according to the projections.
This would affect human health by preventing the body from cooling down after the sun sets and has implications for labour productivity, infrastructure performance, and economic resilience.
CEEW said CRAVIS combines over 40 years of historical climate data with projections extending to 2030-2050 and 2051-2070. It enables district-level analysis across 279 indicators under multiple emission and global warming scenarios.
It also allows users to overlay climate data with sectoral datasets such as India’s power infrastructure, agriculture, land use, and public health information for integrated risk analysis.
The platform, supported by Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, HSBC Foundation, Spectrum Impact, India Climate Collaborative, and Rainmatter Foundation, is designed as a collaborative data commons, inviting organisations and partners to contribute datasets and analysis to continuously expand and strengthen its intelligence base.
CRAVIS also finds that more than half of India’s 281 data centres are already exposed to temperatures above 35°C for over 90 days annually.
By 2040, nearly 90% could face similar heat exposure, significantly increasing cooling needs and operating costs.
Further, in Delhi, warmer nights are projected to rise from around 180 days a year today to over 210 days in the next 25 years - equivalent to an additional month of cooling demand, with implications for both peak electricity load and annual consumption.
Alongside rising temperatures, heavy rainfall events are also projected to increase steadily in the next two decades.
Many districts could see 10 to 30 additional heavy rainfall days annually, according to CRAVIS.
Central and southern states such as Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu are expected to witness stronger increases in both rainfall and hot days. CEEW’s findings come as India faces intensifying climate extremes, from early heatwaves to emerging concerns around a potential ‘Super El Niño’.
Unusually warm nights are also projected to rise by 20-40 days annually in several regions, according to the projections.
This would affect human health by preventing the body from cooling down after the sun sets and has implications for labour productivity, infrastructure performance, and economic resilience.
CEEW said CRAVIS combines over 40 years of historical climate data with projections extending to 2030-2050 and 2051-2070. It enables district-level analysis across 279 indicators under multiple emission and global warming scenarios.
It also allows users to overlay climate data with sectoral datasets such as India’s power infrastructure, agriculture, land use, and public health information for integrated risk analysis.
The platform, supported by Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, HSBC Foundation, Spectrum Impact, India Climate Collaborative, and Rainmatter Foundation, is designed as a collaborative data commons, inviting organisations and partners to contribute datasets and analysis to continuously expand and strengthen its intelligence base.
CRAVIS also finds that more than half of India’s 281 data centres are already exposed to temperatures above 35°C for over 90 days annually.
By 2040, nearly 90% could face similar heat exposure, significantly increasing cooling needs and operating costs.
Further, in Delhi, warmer nights are projected to rise from around 180 days a year today to over 210 days in the next 25 years - equivalent to an additional month of cooling demand, with implications for both peak electricity load and annual consumption.
Alongside rising temperatures, heavy rainfall events are also projected to increase steadily in the next two decades.
Many districts could see 10 to 30 additional heavy rainfall days annually, according to CRAVIS.
Central and southern states such as Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu are expected to witness stronger increases in both rainfall and hot days. CEEW’s findings come as India faces intensifying climate extremes, from early heatwaves to emerging concerns around a potential ‘Super El Niño’.
