Severe Heatwave in India

India is facing a severe Heatwave currently. This has eventually compelled millions of people to remain indoors, and sales of air conditioners nearly doubled when compared to the previous year. Other than this the ongoing heatwave has also brought the concept of wet bulb temperature into mainstream conversation. There are various reasons behind the current Heatwave. This March was the hottest in the last 122 years. The scarcity of Coal and dramatic increase in demand for power has led to power outages in several parts of the country. Additionally, with each passing year, Global warming is estimated to worsen this situation further, and while the temperature and humidity levels give us a slight indication about the weather outside. This is where the wet-bulb temperature comes into action. 

The wet-bulb temperature informs us at what level our bodies will not be able to cool themselves down by sweating. In this case, the threat of a heat stroke alarmingly increases. Wet-bulb temperature combines heat and humidity to show how much evaporation can be absorbed into the air. It measures the lowest temperatures that our bodies can reach when we are in hotter environments, by sweating.