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Report: Climate change causing unhealthy rise in nighttime temperatures in India, says ET EnergyWorld

India’s Rising Nighttime Temperatures: Impact on Sleep Quality and Health in Mumbai

India is facing a significant increase in nighttime temperatures, with 50 to 80 additional nights each year experiencing temperatures exceeding 25°C due to climate change, according to a new analysis by Climate Central and Climate Trends. This rise in nighttime warming is impacting sleep quality and human health across the country.

The analysis revealed that cities across Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and Andhra Pradesh have seen an increase in the number of days with temperatures above 25°C between 2018 and 2023. Mumbai has experienced the highest changes in nighttime temperatures, with an additional 65 days of warmer nights due to global warming.

West Bengal and Assam are the most impacted regions, with cities like Jalpaiguri, Guwahati, Silchar, Dibrugarh, and Siliguri experiencing between 80 and 86 additional days each year above the 25°C threshold. Many other cities in India, including Jaipur and Delhi, have also seen an increase in the number of hot nights attributable to climate change.

The report highlighted that higher nighttime temperatures can cause physiological discomfort, impact human health, and increase mortality risks. It also noted that poor sleep due to hot nights can adversely affect physical and mental health, cognitive functioning, and life expectancy, especially for vulnerable groups like the elderly.

On June 19, Delhi broke the all-time high minimum temperature record, reaching 35.2°C overnight. The analysis looked at the number of times the minimum nighttime temperature exceeded 20°C and 25°C in summers over the last decade, focusing on India, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

The average person on Earth experienced 4.8 additional days above 20°C and 11.5 additional days above 25°C between 2018 and 2023 due to higher nighttime temperatures induced by climate change. The urban heat island effect, where cities are several degrees hotter than surrounding rural areas, is most visible in nighttime temperatures.

Climate scientist Roxy Mathew Koll from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology explained that urban heat islands trap heat from longwave radiation at night, causing cities to be hotter than rural areas. The report emphasized the need for measures to mitigate the impact of rising nighttime temperatures on human health and well-being.

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