The heat wave in Phalodi, Rajasthan, India, 19 May 2016

The report investigates the 51°C record temperature in Phalodi, Rajasthan, on 19 May 2016. While annual mean temperatures in India are increasing, the analysis found that human-induced climate change did not play a statistically significant role in this specific event or a similar 2015 event in Andhra Pradesh. The authors suggest that the warming effect of greenhouse gases may be masked by the cooling effects of aerosols and increased irrigation. However, the report warns that as energy policies shift away from fossil fuels, the diminishing cooling effect of aerosols could increase the intensity of future heat waves.

• On 19 May 2016, the city of Phalodi in Rajasthan recorded a temperature of 51°C, setting an all-time record for any calendar day in India.
• The analysis concluded that human-induced climate change did not play a significant role in the 2016 Phalodi heat wave or the May 2015 heat event in Andhra Pradesh, which differs from findings in other global regions like Europe.
• While annual mean temperatures across India are rising, the increase in frequency and intensity of heat waves is concentrated in relatively small areas rather than being a nationwide trend.
• Aerosols may be offsetting surface warming trends in India, particularly during the pre-monsoon season, by blocking sunlight.
• Increased irrigation in northern and central India has likely contributed to lower or absent trends in pre-monsoon maximum temperatures because solar energy is used for evaporation rather than heating.
• The 2016 heat wave resulted in at least 16 deaths in Rajasthan, 17 in Gujarat, and 7 in Madhya Pradesh, while also causing crop failures affecting hundreds of millions of people.

APA

van Oldenborgh, G. J., Philip, S., Kew, S., van Weele, M., Otto, F., Uhe, P., Singh, R., Pal, I., & AchutaRao, K. (2017). The heat wave in Phalodi, Rajasthan, India, 19 May 2016. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_RRA_India_Heatwave_WEB-final.pdf

Chicago

van Oldenborgh, Geert Jan, Sjoukje Philip, Sarah Kew, Micheil van Weele, Friederike Otto, Peter Uhe, Roop Singh, Indrani Pal, and Krishna AchutaRao. The heat wave in Phalodi, Rajasthan, India, 19 May 2016. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2017. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_RRA_India_Heatwave_WEB-final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=van Oldenborgh |first1=Geert Jan |last2=Philip |first2=Sjoukje |last3=Kew |first3=Sarah |last4=van Weele |first4=Micheil |last5=Otto |first5=Friederike |last6=Uhe |first6=Peter |last7=Singh |first7=Roop |last8=Pal |first8=Indrani |last9=AchutaRao |first9=Krishna |title=The heat wave in Phalodi, Rajasthan, India, 19 May 2016 |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=2017 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_RRA_India_Heatwave_WEB-final.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{vanoldenborgh2017heat, author = {van Oldenborgh, Geert Jan and Philip, Sjoukje and Kew, Sarah and van Weele, Micheil and Otto, Friederike and Uhe, Peter and Singh, Roop and Pal, Indrani and AchutaRao, Krishna}, title = {{The heat wave in Phalodi, Rajasthan, India, 19 May 2016}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2017}, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_RRA_India_Heatwave_WEB-final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }