India witnesses hottest February since records are being kept, experts warn

February of this year was the hottest month ever recorded globally considering the average temperature from 1901. The national mean temperature was mapped to be 22.04 degrees Celsius, which was 1.34 degrees hotter than normal. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has stated that this pattern will most likely continue which means that the summer period (March-May) will likely be warmer than normal across the country. The number of heatwave days is also likely to increase.

January and February 2025 were amongst the top three global hottest months recorded to date. January was the third hottest month for India since 1901. This trend continued after 2024, which was declared the hottest year in India’s history.

With the long spells of hot weather and warmer than normal March predicting, crops like wheat and mustard are bound to be affected. They might ripen before their expected date. Excessive heat might also affect agricultural output in the regions where sowing was done late.

What is the basis of worry

In an article published by The Times of India, Senior IMD scientist D. S. Pai mentioned that states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and north Karnataka are likely to have higher than normal heatwaves from March to May.

Nights across many regions also shattered records in February, which broke the record of minimum temperatures across regions to mark the warmest February since 1901. Day temperatures were second on record too. Out of the four climatic zones of the nation, central India claimed its warmest February ever while south India ranks third, northwest India fifth, and east and northeast India ninth.

As per records, temperatures of the month of February were noted at 24.6ºC in Central India, 26.75ºC in South India, 20.14ºC in East and North-Eastern, and 17.11ºC in North-Western regions.

In March, it is also anticipated that core temperatures will be losing ground both during the day and night. Pai remarked that day temperatures during March are expected to be above normal in most parts of India while south most portions of the peninsular area may record maximum temperatures.

Heat waves are also expected to rise during summer months. This will affect mainly central India, the northern region of the south peninsula, and portions of Northwestern and Eastern India. The IMD has warned, especially for the elderly, children, and people with heat-related illnesses and additional strain on infrastructure, heatwaves pose severe risks.