The number of days when the temperature reaches 35 degrees Celsius in the world's 20 largest capitals - from Delhi to Jakarta to Buenos Aires - has increased by 52% over the past three decades, according to an analysis by a think tank, UNN writes citing Reuters.
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More than 300 million people live in the world's 20 most densely populated capitals, where they are particularly vulnerable to rising temperatures caused by climate change as asphalt and buildings absorb and retain heat.
Capitals including Delhi, Dhaka, and Manila have already been hit by dangerous heat waves this year, resulting in a wave of heat-related deaths and school closures.
According to the weather station, Delhi alone recorded the longest and most severe heat wave in 74 years: 39 consecutive days with a maximum temperature of 40 degrees or higher were recorded between May 14 and June 21.
A newly released analysis by the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) assesses the growing threat of extreme heat in some of the world's largest urban centers.
Using surface temperature data from airport weather stations, the researchers found that from 2014 to 2023, there were a total of about 6,500 days or instances when the temperature reached 35°C or higher in one of the 20 cities. In the decade from 1994 to 2003, there were only 4755.
"We know that hot weather is unevenly experienced in cities," said Tucker Landesman, IIED researcher. - "Pockets of extreme heat are more likely to occur in certain types of neighborhoods and commercial areas. This has to do with inequality and how we design buildings and public infrastructure.
Indonesia's Jakarta has seen the largest absolute increase in the number of days with temperatures above 35°C: from 28 days between 1994 and 2003 to 167 in the last decade.
In Seoul, South Korea, this figure increased from nine days to 58, and in Buenos Aires - from seven days to 35.