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A blistering heatwave has gripped northern India, thrusting the small city of Banda in Uttar Pradesh into the global spotlight. Registering a staggering 48.2°C, the city has officially earned a spot among the hottest places on the planet this week.

While India is no stranger to intense summer temperatures, the intensity of the current heatwave has turned Banda - a historic city in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh - into a literal furnace, leaving Churu in Rajasthan behind to become one of the hottest cities not just in India, but globally.

According to reports, the locals have adopted a new day routine to deal with the soaring temperature by starting the day early and wrapping up work before 10AM. Even those engaged in agriculture have started using massive light in the field to work at night as the heat in the day becomes unbearable.

Local hospitals, too, have reported a sharp spike in heat-related admissions.

Why is Banda burning?

Banda’s extreme temperatures are not an anomaly, but a result of the combination of harsh geography and changing climate patterns. Experts point three main reasons behind the current situation.

The Loo Winds: The region is currently experiencing dry, scorching westerly winds blowing from the deserts in the nearby regions of Rajasthan and Sindh. These winds, popularly known as ‘loo’, act like a hot dryer blowing over the Indo-Gangetic plains.

The Bundelkhand Topography: Banda sits in a rocky, semi-arid plateau characterized by hard granite terrain and sparse forest cover. The rocky ground acts like a massive heat sink, absorbing intense solar radiation during the day and radiating it back into the atmosphere, preventing the area from cooling down even at night.

Declining Water Levels : Severe deforestation and depleted groundwater reserves in Bundelkhand mean there is virtually no moisture in the soil to provide evaporative cooling.

As the sun sets over the baked landscape of Bundelkhand, the heat stubbornly lingers in the concrete and rock, offering little respite before the furnace fires up again the next day.