On 15 April 2026, temperatures in parts of India and Pakistan began climbing and did not stop. For nearly two weeks, daily highs exceeded 46°C across multiple locations, running 5–8°C above what the season would normally produce. The monsoon, which typically delivers relief from June, was still weeks away — and in the meantime, more than a million square kilometres of both countries had slipped into drought. At least 37 people died from the heat in India and 10 in Pakistan, though researchers who study heat mortality widely agree that official counts represent only a fraction of the true toll, since heat-related deaths are systematically undercounted across the subcontinent.

Several atmospheric factors converged to make this season exceptionally dangerous. Persistent high-pressure systems settled over the region, suppressing cloud cover and blocking the cooling rains that would ordinarily break the cycle. With less moisture in the air and in the ground, a self-reinforcing loop took hold: drier soil absorbs more solar energy as heat rather than using it to evaporate water, which drives temperatures still higher. Cities amplified the effect further, as concrete and asphalt stored daytime heat and released it slowly through the night, denying millions of urban residents — particularly those without air conditioning — any meaningful respite.

Behind these immediate mechanisms lies a longer story.