Imagine stepping outside on a day when the temperature feels like a blast furnace. That's what India is experiencing right now, with heatwaves hitting early and staying late. The sun beats down relentlessly, making every step feel like a chore. Even indoors, relief is hard to come by, especially for those who can't afford air conditioning. Walls absorb heat and release it at night, making sleep a luxury. It's like living in a oven, with no respite in sight.

The heatwaves are arriving earlier than usual, and they're more intense than ever. In April, large parts of the country were already sweltering, with temperatures crossing 40°C in several regions. Akola in Maharashtra recorded the highest temperature at 46.9°C, making it one of the hottest cities in the world at the time. This is not just a seasonal heatwave; it's a sign of something bigger.

There's a global climate pattern at play, one that's making the heatwaves worse. El Niño is a naturally occurring phenomenon where the Pacific Ocean warms up, altering rainfall and wind patterns worldwide. It's like a giant seesaw, where the warming of the Pacific Ocean tips the balance towards extreme heat. And this year, conditions are tilting towards a likely El Niño development around mid-2026.

So, what is El Niño? It's a climate phenomenon that occurs when the Pacific Ocean warms up, causing trade winds to weaken or reverse. This shift has far-reaching consequences, including droughts in Australia and Indonesia, and heavier rainfall in parts of South America and East Africa. In a warming world, El Niño's impacts are amplified, making extreme weather events even more intense.

For India, El Niño means more heat, more drought, and more stress on the agricultural sector. The monsoon onset coincides with El Niño's peak, which can disrupt the entire food supply chain. It's a perfect storm of climate change and El Niño, and India is bearing the brunt of it. The worst may not be over yet, as the heatwaves continue to intensify and the El Niño threat looms large.