India’s weather agency has issued a severe heatwave warning as temperatures climb, putting millions of lives and livelihoods at risk. “Temperatures are rising rapidly in the country, and rising much earlier than usual,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned state chief ministers on April 27, 2022. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts a steady rise in maximum temperatures of 2-4 degrees Celsius across northern and central India, “with no large change thereafter.” Heatwaves are common in India, especially in May and June, but this year’s summer began earlier than usual, with high temperatures as early as March – the month’s average maximum temperatures were the highest in 122 years. According to the Center for Science and Environment, early heatwaves have hit around 15 states this year, including Himachal Pradesh in the north, which is famed for its moderate temperatures. The temperature in Delhi, India’s capital, was expected to hit 44 degrees Celsius. According to Naresh Kumar, a senior scientist at IMD, the current heatwave is caused by local atmospheric variables.