India is currently suffering from an incredibly severe heatwave this year. This April was the hottest it has ever been in the past 122 years. Jacobabad in Pakistan is one of the hottest cities in the world and has already seen temperatures over 120 degrees fahrenheit and at night the temperatures have not dropped below 86 degrees. Thankfully, the heatwave struck before the rainy season. This is good because the combination of heat and humidity prevents the human body from naturally cooling itself via sweat.
Unfortunately, massive heat waves like these still have repercussions.
Schools are closing because students cannot walk to school without getting nosebleeds. Schools that are still open have been told to start early and end before noon by India’s Union Ministry of Education. Schools have also been told to prepare hydration stations and first-aid stations. Schools should also have plans for quick access to health centers in case of an emergency.
With demands for electricity in order for houses to have their cooling systems as well as access to water in some areas of India the demand is causing a coal shortage. India relies heavily on coal as a power source with it making up 70 percent of their fuel. With this comes the necessity to save coal for the coming summer.
Heat waves like these serve as a wake up call. This is a warning to the rest of the world as intense heat waves will only increase with climate change. Countries can begin to implement climate-proof education and power sources that are more reliable making heatwaves like these more bearable for our future.
