Delhi Ranks Second In Global List Of Cities With Sharpest Temperature Spikes

Delhi saw the second highest jump in the average number of days in a year that were over 35 degrees Celsius, according to data from the International Institute for Environment and Development, cited by The Guardian on Tuesday.

According to the data, Delhi has seen 29 more days on an average where the temperature was above 35 C in 2015-2024 than it did in 1994-2003, surpassed only by Baghdad which saw a 33-day increase on an average.

Cairo narrowly came in third with an average 28-day uptick.

The IIED stated in their research report that the world's most populous cities are seeing their "highest total" of such exceedingly hot days.

It saw a 26% rise in such days, across 30 years. The total average of the hottest days went up from 1,062 between 1994-2003 to 1,335 from 2015-2024.

Up to 43 of the most populated cities were surveyed by the organisation. Areas in cities which have substandard housing and infrastructure are especially vulnerable to highest temperatures, according to the report.

"Hot weather is a killer, whether through sustained high temperatures and humidity or a short, sharp heatwave. Children and the elderly are particularly at risk, but so too are pregnant women and workers in outdoor or manual job," the report said.

Ramping global warming's contribution to the heat issue is evident as the hottest years on the planet, which were 2024, 2023 and 2019, are notably close to one another, the report pointed out.

"The human case for climate change adaptation is obvious, and recent research in Europe suggests it’s a smart business move too," the report said, citing Allianz Research's study that heat waves would cut gross domestic product by 0.5%.

"Global temperatures are rising faster than governments probably expected and definitely faster than they seem to be reacting," Anna Walnycki, a researcher at IIED, said.

"Failing to adapt will condemn millions of city dwellers to increasingly uncomfortable and even dangerous conditions because of the urban heat island effect, " she added.

The IIED said cities urgently need funding to improve insulation and ventilation in buildings, develop heat action plans and create shade cover, while ensuring new construction is fit for a warming world.

The poorest will likely suffer the most whether they are in London, Luanda, or Lima, but the impacts will be significantly worse in low-income or unplanned communities in the Global South thanks to lower-quality housing and infrastructure, Walnycki added.

(With PTI inputs)