This week, a severe heatwave is affecting portions of South Asia, affecting over a billion people.
Temperatures in India's capital Delhi are anticipated to reach 44 degrees Celsius, with temperatures in Pakistan reaching 50 degrees Celsius.
The heat makes fasting much more difficult for Muslims in both India and Pakistan, who avoid even drinking water during daylight hours.
An unusually early heatwave, which began last month, has already delivered intense heat to a vast part of India, and forecasters predict even higher temperatures in the future.
Heatwave warnings have been issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for numerous major cities, and schools in some areas have been closed for the next few days.
Heatwaves are prevalent in India, however, they usually don't start until May or June.
However, temperatures began to rise in March this year, to the point that last month was the warmest in India in over 120 years.
"Temperatures are rising swiftly across the country, and rising considerably earlier than typical," India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi remarked. Modi also warned about the increasing risk of flames as temperatures rise.
Farmers must save water in a country where agriculture is the mainstay of the economy and employs roughly 40% of the population.
Climate change minister Sherry Rehman mentioned that the severe temperature this year will pose a serious challenge to the country's public health and agriculture.
The fire, which emitted deadly black smoke that engulfed adjacent neighborhoods, was the fourth in less than a month at a dumpsite in the megacity of 20 million people.
Warmer temperatures hasten the breakdown of organic garbage, according to Pradeep Khandelwal, the former head of Delhi's waste management.
As demand for air conditioning and fans increased, the Indian states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh imposed power cutbacks on enterprises. The country's hot weather has prompted a surge in demand for electricity for air conditioning, resulting in power outages in some areas.
According to media reports, power plants were also experiencing coal shortages, the country's principal source of electricity. There are also worries about water shortages and the possibility of crop damage.
Extreme weather, according to scientists, is unmistakably related to climate change, and heat waves are expected to become more common and powerful as a result of global warming.
Since 2010, more than 6,500 people have died in India due to heatwaves, which scientists predict are becoming more severe and frequent as a result of climate change.
