Delhi, India’s capital has experienced it’s hottest weather on record both Tuesday and Wednesday this week, with highs of 122 degrees Fahrenheit. The exceptional heat has closed schools, endangered manual laborers, and stressed water supply and infrastructure. The heatwave has sharply increased the number of fires, occurrences of heatstroke, and emergency room visits over the last few days. Officials have issued a red alert health notice for the megacity. 

These searing temperatures in northern India are part of a broader heat wave passing across much of Southeast Asia. The heat wave, which manifested over a week ago, has surpassed a dangerous threshold. Research has identified this as posing a risk to human survival if such heat is prolonged.