Delhi’s Temperature Swings Over The Years; Raise Climate Change Alarm

In the past few years, Delhi has been affected by rapid changes in temperature, both up and down, indicating the growing impact of climate change and urbanisation on weather patterns.

In March 2024, the city recorded a maximum temperature of 37 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 9 degrees Celsius. By comparison, March 2023 recorded a high of 34.3 degrees Celsius and a low of 8.8 degrees Celsius. In March 2022, however, temperatures reached a high of 39.6 degrees Celsius, which was one of the highest temperatures ever recorded for the month.

These fluctuations point to the rapidly variable climate of Delhi, with experts attributing this factor to several influences. Environmentalist Manu Singh said, “The observed fluctuations in March temperatures in Delhi over recent years reflect complex interactions between atmospheric dynamics, urbanization effects, and broader climate change trends.”

Singh underlined that the remarkable cooling experienced in March 2024, with a mean minimum temperature of 14.3 degrees Celsius, is a stark difference compared to the unprecedented heat of March 2022. “Such fluctuations,” he explained, “have been caused due to meteorological and climatological reasons, such as changes in wind patterns, impact of Western Disturbances, and large-scale climatic phenomena like El Niño and La Niña. In addition, increasing urbanization and shrinking green cover in Delhi have increased the urban heat island (UHI) effect, which increases temperature extremes, especially in the absence of meaningful rainfall or cloud cover.”

From a common climate-related point of view, these temperature anomalies are manifestations of frequent effects of climate change, which is responsible for an increase in extreme weather frequency and intensity. The record temperatures of March 2022 follow global predictions of more intense heatwaves as greenhouse gas levels increase, while the comparatively cooler March of 2024 is presumably due to temporary atmospheric fluctuations rather than a breakdown in the trend towards warming.

Singh cautioned that the break from tradition weather seasons shows a climate change is becoming more widespread. He called for climate adaptation plans in Delhi, one of the most urbanised in a semi-dry area. “Delhi’s vulnerability to prolonged heat stress is a serious implication for public health, energy consumption and overall urban vividness. Scientific inquiry into the interplay between natural climatic variability and anthropogenic influences is essential to developing effective mitigation and adaptation strategies,” he added.

To counteract the adverse effects of rising temperatures, Singh recommended a multi-pronged approach focused on enhancing urban resilience. This means expanding green cover, encouraging sustainable urban development, and incorporating climate-responsive infrastructure. Also, building resilience in early warning systems and public information campaigns will be important in preparing residents with the information and tools to adapt to extreme heat.

Singh also warned that our regulation should be sequenced to cause substantial greenhouse gas emission reductions, by advancing renewable energy sources, transportation and energy efficiency and allowing everybody a seat at the table.

Climate change consequences from weather patterns are even more significant globally beyond Delhi. In March 2024, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) reported the global mean temperature for March was 14.14 degrees Celsius, 1.68 degrees Celsius higher than the pre-industrial reference period of 1850-1900. It was also 0.73 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average for March and 0.10 degrees Celsius above the previous record in March 2016.

According to C3S, the global average temperature over the last 12 months (April 2023-March 2024) is the highest on record, at 0.70 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average and 1.58 degrees Celsius above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average.

Furthermore, C3S reported that the global average temperature crossed the 1.5 degrees Celsius mark for a full year for the first time in January 2024. Nevertheless, it explained that an irreversible crossing of the 1.5-degree limit set under the Paris Agreement is a description of long-term warming over a period of several years and not short-term changes.

Prof SN Mishra, TERI SAS and a Climate Change Consultant, told ETV Bharat, “The extreme heat in March 2022 was an unusual event, marking one of the earliest heatwaves that originated in India and extended through Pakistan to the Horn of Africa, Europe, and China. This event has been linked to climate change and had significant consequences, including a 5 per cent loss in India’s wheat production. Europe had the worst emergency situation.”

He added, “However, in the subsequent years, March temperatures have remained within the expected range of variability. Even in 2025, the temperatures are not abnormally high, reflecting the natural intra-seasonal fluctuations that characterize weather patterns.”

“It is important to note that the hot conditions experienced in a particular month do not necessarily indicate a trend for the following months. While climate change is undeniably driving an increase in extreme weather events, not every temperature fluctuation can be directly attributed to it,” elaborated Mishra.

“Intra-seasonal and inter-seasonal variability are inherent to weather and climate. Therefore, it is premature to draw conclusions about long-term climate trends based solely on the recent March temperature variations,” he said.