India's Growing Urban Emergency: A Weak Monsoon Meets Cities That Trap Heat

New Delhi: It looks like India is going to witness a deficient monsoon this year, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday, in its forecast, said the country may be looking at a "below normal" monsoon, with a 60% chance of deficient rain. As per the IMD forecast, India could be looking at monsoon rainfall between June and September to be just 90% of the Long Period Average (LPA), down from the 92% they predicted in April. This could have a significant impact on agriculture, inflation and people may have to deal with the heatwave crisis longer this summer.This year's summer heat has turned Indian cities, especially in North India, into ovens, with maximum temperatures climbing as high as 48 degrees Celsius. According to experts,

the heatwave crisis cannot be attributed to climate change alone, but we also need to look at faulty urban planning and designs that are converting our cities into heat islands during peak summer. While heatwaves are a natural part of India's pre-monsoon season, experts say urbanisation and land-use changes are making cities significantly hotter than surrounding areas.

"Urbanisation is one of the contributors to rising heatwaves, but the larger issue is land cover change. However, when we compare cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai, the intensity of heat is significantly aggravated by the way urbanisation is being carried out," said Rajneesh Sareen, Programme Director, Sustainable Habitat Programme at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).According to Sareen, the problem lies not merely in the expansion of cities but in how urban spaces are designed. Poor understanding of microclimates, inadequate tree cover, dense construction and widespread use of heat-absorbing materials are contributing to rising temperatures."Our understanding of microclimate conditions and thermal comfort has remained poor while planning cities, designing buildings and developing urban layouts. Factors such as street width, building height, lack of tree cover and excessive use of heat-absorbing materials all contribute to rising temperatures," he explained.Many Indian cities continue to rely heavily on concrete, metal and dark-coloured surfaces that absorb solar radiation during the day and release it slowly at night. This phenomenon, commonly known as the urban heat island effect, causes cities to remain warmer than nearby rural areas.

Sareen explains that in many cities, people can experience that a particular area feels hotter than other areas. The difference in the temperature could be between 7-10 degrees Celsius. This is due to factors like tree cover, building density, surface materials and urban layout."In some cases, we have observed temperature differences of up to 7-10 degrees Celsius within the same city. Two neighbourhoods may appear similar, but variations in tree cover, colour, materials and layout can dramatically impact thermal comfort," he explains.

The Impact of Climate Change on Indian Cities

Climate change is "increasing the intensity and frequency of these heatwaves," warns Akshit Sangomla, Senior Correspondent at Down To Earth magazine and a researcher on climate issues. "What climate change is doing is making high-pressure systems and atmospheric blocking events more frequent and persistent. As a result, heatwaves are lasting longer, becoming more intense and affecting larger populations," he said. One of the most concerning trends, experts say, is the rise in warm nights. Historically, temperatures would fall after sunset, allowing people and infrastructure to cool down. However, that natural relief is increasingly disappearing in urban areas.

"Traditionally, nights were cooler because heat escaped back into the atmosphere. But in highly urbanised areas, heat gets trapped due to dense construction and poor urban design. That is why cities now remain uncomfortably warm even at night," Sareen said.Sangomla also warned that warmer nights are posing a serious health risk because the human body gets less opportunity to recover from daytime heat exposure."One of the most worrying trends in recent years is the rise in warm nights. Earlier, cooler nights provided relief to the human body after extreme daytime temperatures, but now nights are also remaining unusually warm due to climate change and urban heat island effects," he cautioned.

Why Urban Planning Matters

Experts argue that reducing heat stress requires changes in urban planning rather than relying solely on short-term emergency measures."What we need is more shade, water-sensitive urban planning and climate-responsive design. Tree cover, cooling corridors, water bodies and the use of appropriate construction materials can significantly reduce street temperatures. Unfortunately, many modern urban designs end up trapping more heat instead of reducing it," Sareen said.Sangomla added that preserving green spaces and water bodies should become a central part of city planning strategies."Long-term mitigation requires better urban planning, more green cover, protection of water bodies and reducing excessive concretisation in cities. These measures can help moderate urban heat island effects and reduce the impact of heatwaves."As India experiences rising temperatures, growing urban populations and increasing climate variability, experts say cities will need to rethink how they are built. The challenge is no longer just about managing heatwaves but about redesigning urban environments to prevent them from becoming even more dangerous.