Indians brave the heat wave at the bank of Sangam in Prayagraj, India. Photo: iStock
Pick any city on the planet's hottest 50 list (May 22). Then pick another. And another. They are all in India.
Balangir, a small city in western Odisha, sat at the top at 45°C. It was not alone for long. Chandrapur and Prayagraj were right behind at 44°C. Further down the list, Varanasi, Banda, Bareilly and Ayodhya were already touching 42°C and 43°C — before noon.
Uttar Pradesh alone accounted for more than half the cities on the list. The heatwave has stretched in a sweeping arc from Odisha through Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh into Bihar, Haryana and Maharashtra. In Vidarbha, the thermometer crossed 46°C earlier this week.
A heat domeThe extreme conditions are being driven by persistent dry northwesterly winds, clear skies and delayed pre-monsoon relief across the Indo-Gangetic plains. Meteorologists have a name for what is happening overhead: a heat dome.
The India Meteorological Department has warned that heatwave to severe heatwave conditions are likely to continue across northwest and central India through the week. Red and orange alerts have been issued across several states.
Also Read: Two Indias, one weather: Heatwaves scorch North while rain drenches South
Hospitals across several states have reported rising cases of dehydration, heat exhaustion and sunstroke, particularly among outdoor workers, children and the elderly. Authorities have urged people to avoid direct sun exposure during afternoon hours, stay hydrated and limit non-essential travel.
Also Read: Power demand hits all-time high as heat wave scorches India
Western Odisha's Titlagarh-Balangir belt has historically been among India's fiercest heat zones. However, all 50 of the world's hottest cities being located within a single country on one morning underlines the extraordinary intensity and geographic spread of India's 2026 heatwave.
