Climate Change: Odisha To See 48 Extremely Hot Days By 2100!

Photograph: Ashok Panda

Bhubaneswar: Using air conditioner in November? Blame it on climate change that has resulted in an increase in the number of extremely hot days. And Odisha has topped this list in the entire country with a rise in such days from 1.62 in 2010 to 48.05 by 2100, according to a report by Climate Impact Lab in collaboration with the Tata Centre for Development at University of Chicago.

If unchecked, the average temperature is expected to rise by 4 degrees Celcius in India by the end of the century. The country will see an 8-fold increase in the number of extremely hot days by 2100.

Punjab will continue to be the hottest state in 2100 with average annual temperature of around 36°C and also have the highest number of extremely hot days (85) in 2100, followed by Haryana and Delhi, it said.

The report also stated that Himalayan states such as Jammu & Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh are expected to see the highest increase in average summer temperatures. Interestingly, Meghalaya (28.3C) could become hotter than Maharashtra (28C) and Arunachal Pradesh (27.2C) as hot as Goa (27.5C) by 2100.