India declares 2024 the hottest since 1901

India announced that the year 2024 was the hottest since 1901, in light of the severe weather conditions the world is witnessing and fueled by climate change.

Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of the Indian Meteorological Department, told reporters that 2024 was the hottest year recorded since 1901, noting that the annual average air temperature over land across India in 2024 was 0.65 degrees Celsius higher than the long-term average. The period between 1991 and 2020.

Last month, the United Nations predicted that 2024 would be the hottest year ever recorded, after a decade of unprecedented high temperatures.

India witnessed the longest heat wave in its history last year, with temperatures exceeding 45 degrees Celsius. During a heat wave that hit New Delhi in May, the temperature reached 49.2 degrees Celsius, a record previously set by the capital in 2022.