Analysis: India’s fatal sweltering heat in June linked to climate change

The report finds that a three-day extreme heat event in Uttar Pradesh from June 14-16, 2023, was made at least two times more likely by human-caused climate change, with some areas seeing a three-fold increase in likelihood. The event resulted in at least 34 fatalities in Ballia and led to school closures in Bihar. The analysis highlights that the combination of extreme heat and high humidity increased the severity of the event, following a previous humid heat wave in April 2023 that was made over 30 times more likely by climate change.

• A three-day extreme heat event in Uttar Pradesh between June 14 and 16, 2023, was made at least two times more likely due to human-caused climate change, with some parts of the state reaching Climate Shift Index (CSI) levels of 3, meaning those temperatures were at least three times more likely.
• The June 2023 heat event caused at least 34 deaths in the Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh, where temperatures hit 42.2°C on June 16, and led to the closure of primary and secondary schools in Bihar.
• The severity of the June event was exacerbated by the unusual occurrence of extreme temperatures combined with high humidity; this follows a deadly humid heat wave in April 2023 that was made more than 30 times more likely by human-caused climate change.
• Heat-related mortality figures are likely underestimated globally due to poor recordkeeping, and vulnerability to these events is intensified by socio-economic factors, age, disability, and the urban heat island effect.

APA

Climate Central (2023). Analysis: India’s fatal sweltering heat in June linked to climate change. https://www.climatecentral.org/report/csi-india-june-2023

Chicago

Climate Central. Analysis: India’s fatal sweltering heat in June linked to climate change. 2023. https://www.climatecentral.org/report/csi-india-june-2023.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Central |title=Analysis: India’s fatal sweltering heat in June linked to climate change |date=22 June 2023 |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/report/csi-india-june-2023 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatecentral2023analysis, author = {{Climate Central}}, title = {{Analysis: India’s fatal sweltering heat in June linked to climate change}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2023}, month = jun, url = {https://www.climatecentral.org/report/csi-india-june-2023}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }