UP’s Banda Turns Into ‘Man-Made Heat Island’, Among World’s Hottest Cities

Added: 2026-05-20

[00:00:00]Welcome back viewers. Let's now tell you about the scorching grip of summer because one district in Uttar Pradesh is making global headlines for all the wrong reasons. Wanda is emerging as the hottest city in the world twice and in Asia multiple times in the past month with temperatures repeatedly crossing 47 to 48° C last month. And experts warn that this is no longer just a weather story but a growing environmental crisis turning the region into a man-made heat island. The district has recorded some of the highest temperatures in the world this summer, including 47.6° C and even 48.2° on multiple occasion. Meteorologists point to the dry westerly winds from the Thar Desert, clear skies, and intense solar radiation as key reasons behind the heat surge. But Bundelk's unique geography is worsening the situation.

[00:00:52]The rocky terrain heats up very quickly during the day and traps heat for longer durations. And according to IMD scientists, weak western disturbances this year failed to bring normal pre-summer cooling. And as a result, districts like Banda entered peak summer already under elevated temperatures.

[00:01:08]Experts say the heat is building earlier and staying longer than usual.

[00:01:13]Geologists also now describe Banda as a man-made heat island. The reasons go beyond weather into human activity and even environmental degradation. Experts point to just 3% green cover in the district, large scale sand mining in the Cane River Basin and that's that's the reason for the falling groundwater levels and also expanding concrete surfaces are intensifying the heat absorption. The removal of vegetation and also river sediment has changed surface reflectivity and increased heat retention. Geologists say the region is now trapped in a vicious cycle of heat.

[00:01:48]Experts contrast Bandanda's 3% green cover with higher forest areas in neighboring districts, warning of deep ecological bal imbalance. And what was once a seasonal heat wave is now becoming a structural environmental crisis. And unless urgent steps are taken to restore greenery and regulate mining, experts warn that Banda could continue to break global heat records year after year.

[00:02:15]We have Dr. KJ Romesh, former DG of IMD joining us live on this broadcast. A very good afternoon to you doctor. How do you look at you know Banda emerging as the hottest district not just in the world but in Asia also multiple times 47 to 48° sir?

[00:02:33]>> Yeah. Not only banda whole of bundeland is known for extreme heat during the summer and particularly in May. Uh Bundial Kand is known for hot spot of uh um extreme heat and this time it is uh meandering between maximum is meandering between Jani and Banda. uh and this is uh the season where before the monsoon enters Kerala we will experience extreme hot weather conditions over north India and this is going to remain at least up to 24th to 25th not only focusing uh higher hot weather over Bundel Kand but also over this place called Madhya Maratwa Adara, Vidyharba, Telangana, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan, Gujarat. All these places will be above 44 to 47° uh at least up to next 5 6 days. That's what is clearly seen and this is what is well warned and 3 4 days before enough alerts are there and heatwave action plans are in place in this country and so much of effort has been there to minimize the exposure of the people and several steps are supposed to be in place. No.

[00:04:08]Uh are we seeing this as the maximum temperature or is the peak yet to arrive? Because 47 to 48° just in May and April alone is you know an alarming trend which goes on to show that the coming months could be even hotter and how are uh you know the people supposed to bear it. Now once monsoon comes this extreme hot weather conditions will remain until the advancement of monsoon over gangic plains. Once that takes place it will be around 35° temperature but humidity associated with that will have a lot of discomfort uh to the people all through the monsoon season.

[00:04:47]But this extreme uh heat stress conditions will not be there after the monsoon advancement takes place. that could be maybe end of June or so until then uh these hot weather conditions epo of heat wave uh will be there.

[00:05:04]>> Okay doctor, you know the presummer cooling that was supposed to arrive that was also absent and what about the arrival of monsoons will that be delayed? Is there a western disturbance that we're looking at? No, there is already a western disturbance affecting only the hill states, hill segments, hilly segments of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal and even last week we had rainfall snowfall over Uttarakand and Himachel also but it is not affecting the plains Punjab and other places. So that's how the influence of western disturbance is limited to hilly segments of both India and as well as Nepal and adjoining countries. But this uh this time we don't expect u much of western disturbances affecting uh the gangic plains and northwest India >> and truly speaking for strong evolution of monsoon uh arriving at Kerala which is already arrived at bay islands and Sri Lanka Maldives and we need to have hot weather conditions over north India and particularly Rajasthan, northwest India, western UP etc. This hot weather conditions prevailing prior to the monsoon onset is a good sign for the good man strong monsoon to evolve.

[00:06:22]>> Dr. We've never seen this kind of temperature in this particular district or even in this region in the past. So are we looking at you know years hotter years ahead?

[00:06:34]>> Yeah. Yeah. this because of because of climate change.

[00:06:38]>> Mhm.

[00:06:39]>> Um this warming uh trend will uh continue year after year. Uh already we have seen the increasing trend of uh temperatures over Gangjitic plains and northwest India uh for over decade already incremental increase in the maximum temperatures. So as long as global warming continues, we'll have to be ready for more and more extreme temperatures more records to be broken year after year both globally and India also.

[00:07:11]>> Okay. So what's the way forward Dr. Romesh? Because there's a lot of deforestation going on, mining activity going on, groundwater levels have plummeted. So what's the way forward in order to tackle the heat wave?

[00:07:23]>> Heat wave has got two three things to be done now. many things what what you have just mentioned are almost became to a stage of irreversible situation. What we can do now is people who are exposed to hot weather conditions living in uh uh asbesta sheets roofs and tinned roofs, metal sheets roofs. So have to be provided on priority uh some uh concrete roofs under PMAS or something like that. uh so that we can minimize their exposure to the hot weather conditions and then uh drinking water safe drinking water is access to the safe drinking water is most essential when groundwater is uh already below critical level. So ensuring clean and safe drinking water is another uh important aspect to avoid dehydration and other uh related health related heat stress related morbidities to the people and then we have to create cooler places like Chennai has done just behind the bus stops uh for gig workers and others to stay. So that kind of cool um hubs got to be created uh wherever this kind of exposure to the heat stress is more in those clusters. Uh just like uh in Delhi we used to have uh night shelters no for winter time.

[00:09:01]>> That's right.

[00:09:02]>> So that kind of shelters are to be organized for hot weather conditions uh to the vulnerable people. So some such extra initiatives are required to minimize the exposure of the people particularly drinking water and shelter relatively cool shelter where asbesta sheets roofs and tinder roofs are there people we know those clusters so we have to take steps >> right Dr. KJ Romesh you're saying that this is probably you know the first time but not the last time there are hotter years ahead and the key takeaway in this conversation viewers is that you need to keep yourself hydrated because there there are irreversible damages that have been done to the environment and climate change is real. It is here to stay and uh the times are going to get tougher in the days to come. But thank you Dr. KJ Romesh for joining us on this live broadcast.