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The unusually warm early summer in several parts of India is not an exception as major parts of the world has been suffering from Celsius surge since last December, a global study has found.
The new global analysis, published on March 18 by Climate Central, has found widespread climate-driven heat impacts over the last three months and observed that more than one in every 6 people worldwide felt a strong climate change influence every day from December 2025 to February 2026. Continued burning of fossil fuels has been identified as the major reason behind the rising heat trend.
“Using Climate Central’s Climate Shift Index (CSI) — a system that quantifies the influence of climate change on daily temperatures — researchers assessed how much human-caused warming boosted temperatures worldwide over the three-month period,” reads the report, a copy of which is with the correspondent. Several Indian cities were found to be significantly affected.
The CSI is analysed in a scale from -5 to +5, where positive values indicate a temperature made more likely by climate change, ranging from detectable influence (+1) to extremely high likelihood (+5). Level 2 means the temperature is twice as likely due to climate change impact; while Level 5 means it is five times more likely.
“This analysis makes clear that climate change is not a future problem, it is a present-day driver of extreme heat around the world. Millions of people experienced a month or more of dangerous levels of heat that were made significantly more likely by climate change,” said Kristina Dahl, Climate Central’s Vice President for Science. The scientist further reminded that “…In many regions, climate change didn’t just make heat worse — it fully accounted for the most dangerous heat days.”
The report, Heat and Beyond: Impacts of extreme weather over the past 3 months, has found that though India, in general, experienced less climate change-triggered heat impacts than many other countries — 6 days in the last three months having a level 2 status — but several Indian cities suffered significantly from acute heat during the period.
According to the report, Srinagar has been the worst sufferer with 60 days having CSI +2, meaning temperature doubled due to climate change. Thane and Navi Mumbai had +2 CSI for 18 and 17 days respectively. Several other cities of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh also recorded +2 CSI in the range of 11 to 16 days. Incidentally, India Meteorological Department data shows that north and west India are facing unprecedentedly acute heat during ongoing March as well.
The report has pointed out that “ …2.5 billion people across 124 countries endured at least 30 days with temperatures strongly influenced by climate change (with) more than one in six people globally experienced temperatures with a strong climate change influence every day from December 2025 through February 2026”.
It further says that, “ … Climate change was responsible for every single day of heat dangerous to human health — or “risky heat” — in 47 countries over the three-month period”. Nearly 225 million people experienced 30 or more days of risky heat added by climate change, and 81 per cent of those affected live in Africa.
The analysis shows that human-caused warming — primarily from burning coal, oil, and methane gas — is increasing the frequency and intensity of heat around the world. In many regions, climate change did not just contribute to warmer conditions — it fully accounted for the most dangerous heat days experienced during the period.
“The findings underscore how climate change is no longer a distant or future concern, but a present and measurable force shaping daily weather for billions of people,” reads the report.
The report mentioned several examples to underline how climate change has pushed heat quotient in several parts of the world.
“An unusually early Australian heat wave — made five times more likely by climate change — persisted into January and February, breaking records before giving way to intense downpours that flooded several towns. In the Arctic, Greenland recorded its warmest January, accelerating sea-ice loss. Meanwhile, a heat spell across Argentina contributed to a power outage that left more than one million people without electricity”, the report has pointed out.
The report has also pointed out how in many places, the combination of heat, low humidity, and strong winds created ideal fire weather conditions during the last three months. “Wildfires in Patagonia, fuelled by climate change, claimed 23 lives, prompting Chile to declare an emergency. Similar events occurred in the U.S., Australia, and South Africa, where thousands of hectares burned. In most cases, high temperatures amplified the intensity of these fires,” argues the report.
Moreover, across the world, climate change triggered a “cascade of other extremes” like severe drought, record-breaking precipitation, powerful storms, and snow storms.
Kenya endured its driest season since 1981, threatening more than two million people with hunger while drought is expected to cause crop failures and yield losses in Somalia and southeastern Ethiopia.
While President Donald Trump remained busy in wars and denying climate change, “drought covered over 40 per cent of the United States” which simultaneously suffered from “subzero temperatures” alongside Canada, killing at least 85 people, dumping metres of snow, straining power grids, and costing billions.
“Japan experienced deadly snowfall that scientists attributed to climate change. Other severe winter storms claimed at least 61 lives in Afghanistan and another six in Europe… Scientists found that the amount of snow experienced in some regions in Germany in (2026) January is expected to occur every 50 years now, but in the pre-industrial era — with a climate that was 1.3°C colder — it was expected to occur every six years.
The report pointed out that, “ … Ocean temperatures remained high, while heavy rainfall — made more intense by climate change — killed more than 1,750 people in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Thailand. Koto, Ada, and Penha are some of the storms that added to the billions of dollars in losses across the region.” The report has highlighted how the weather pattern in several other parts of the world reached extremes during the last three months.
