With historic temperatures harming winter harvests and causing a scarcity in 2022, summer arrived early. The impact of the decrease in wheat production was made worse by the disruption of supplies owing to the recent conflict in Ukraine. A warm, dry spring has already arrived this year. Aside from the effects on crops and human health, there is a chance that there will be more frequent and severe forest fires, faster glacier melting, and drier water bodies.
Source: Deccan Herald
Several more economic repercussions will occur in addition to the impact on power use and production. One key factor in the spike in inflation that occurred last year and has persisted ever since was the decline in wheat production.
In the first two weeks of February, temperatures in western coastal regions like Gujarat, Goa, and coastal Karnataka have been abnormally high. They were 5 to 10 degrees Celsius more than average, and it appears that they will continue to be high. Though it later retracted it, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) recently issued a heat alert for Maharashtra and the Konkan. According to reports, temperatures in wheat-growing regions like Punjab and Haryana have recently risen to as high as 28 to 33 degrees Celsius, which is significantly higher than average.
Source: NDTV
On at least one day in February, seven states experienced average maximum temperatures that were comparable to those in March. The maximum temperature was two weeks earlier than expected in ten other states. In the plains, there hasn’t been much rain, and the hills haven’t seen much snow. All of this indicates that summer may be starting earlier than expected.
Although some state governments have issued crop protection advice, they should be prepared to step in to defend the interests of the farmers and meet their requirements in the new environment. The issue of an early summer affects more than just farmers, so governments should have a global perspective and address it in all areas where it has an influence. In South Asia, heat waves killed roughly 100 people the previous year. To deal with climate shocks, which are no longer unexpected and sporadic occurrences, there should be a framework of both short-term measures and long-term initiatives.
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