India’s Temperature Anomalies: Monthly Record Highs Since April 2024
Since April 2024, India has experienced record temperature anomalies each month, impacting agriculture and livelihoods. According to the India Meteorological Department, significant temperature peaks have been recorded, correlating with global warming trends. The ongoing influence of El Niño and La Niña weather patterns complicates these climatic impacts, highlighting urgent needs for mitigation strategies.
Since April 2024, India has consistently recorded temperature anomalies, with extreme heat affecting both agriculture and outdoor livelihoods for a significant portion of the population. According to the India Meteorological Department, maximum, minimum, or mean temperatures have hit records every month, except for March this year, signaling a profound impact of the climate crisis across all seasons.
In April 2024, south peninsular India recorded the second highest mean temperatures, while east and northeast India logged the highest since recorded data began in 1901. The trend continued in May, with the third highest mean and maximum temperatures noted in both east and northeast, as well as northwest India. June saw northwest India reaching its maximum temperature peak, escalating further in subsequent months.
July recorded the second highest mean temperature nationwide and the highest maximum temperatures in specific regions. The months of August, September, and October also saw record-high minimum temperatures countrywide, leading to significant agricultural concerns due to the heat. November and December exhibited the same trend, with northwest and south peninsular India reaching record maximum temperatures respectively.
The year 2025 continued the trend with January showing the third highest maximum temperatures and February exceeding previous records across the country. Though March brought a brief reprieve, the overall heat trends have crucial implications for agriculture, as excessive heat disrupts crop cycles and threatens food security, contributing to potential inflation.
India’s temperature trends align with global warming patterns. In February, global average surface temperatures surpassed the critical 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold for the 19th time in 20 months, largely attributed to an El Niño weather pattern that occurred between May 2023 and May 2024. Despite the onset of a weak La Niña, India still faced record heat in late 2024.
OP Sreejith, head of climate monitoring at IMD, noted that while warming rates in India are currently lower than global figures, they show an upward trend. This is highlighted by the locking patterns being observed in the country, suggesting that the acceleration of warming could persist, albeit with some periods of fluctuation.
Experts from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) emphasize a lack of consensus on monitoring global temperature rises, particularly under the Paris Agreement. Specific questions remain regarding which datasets to use and the manner in which warming is defined, complicating predictions about surpassing the critical temperature thresholds.
As La Niña’s cooling impact diminishes, forecasts indicate a continuation of warming trends. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that La Niña is weakening, with ENSO neutral conditions expected by April, likely to persist through the Northern Hemisphere summer next year.
Understanding these weather phenomena is critical: La Niña represents a cooling phase while El Niño signifies warming, impacting India differently — with El Niño correlated to harsher summers and La Niña to stronger monsoons. However, these natural occurrences must be viewed in conjunction with the broader human-induced climate crisis, which accelerates temperature increases and intensifies extreme weather events that reshape seasonal patterns.
The continuous rise in temperature anomalies in India since April 2024 underscores the severity of the climate crisis affecting agriculture and outdoor livelihoods. Monthly records have highlighted significant peaks, raising concerns about agricultural productivity and economic stability. While global trends contribute to regional warming, specific interactions of El Niño and La Niña conditions further complicate forecasts, necessitating immediate attention to mitigating climate impacts.
Original Source: www.hindustantimes.com
