Indian Temperatures Could Rise Significantly by 2030, New Study Shows

A new report forecasts that average temperatures in India could climb 2 degrees C (3.6 F) within two decades, with even higher temperatures projected for some coastal regions. According to the Indian Network for Climate Change Assessment, a group of more than 100 scientific organizations, the nation could see temperatures jump 1.7 to 2.3 degrees C by the 2030s compared to temperatures in the 1970s. That temperature shift will likely mean more extreme weather, the study projects, with increasingly intense downpours but fewer days of rain overall, which would likely mean a greater likelihood of flooding and drought. A recent study said that India’s surging economy is also among the world’s most vulnerable because of the effects of climate change. During a recent conference in New Delhi, India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that India’s rapidly growing economy and automotive industry could lead to a 40 percent increase in demand for hydrocarbon fuels in the next decade, possibly leading to shortages of oil and gas.