Hyderabad: Temperatures in Telangana surged past the 44°C mark this April, raising concerns among meteorologists and environmentalists who are calling the phenomenon unusual and alarming. Historically, average maximum temperatures across the state hovered below 42°C at this time of year. However, data now shows a consistent 1.5°C to 2.5°C rise across multiple districts—a trend that experts say is not just a temporary spike but indicative of a larger, more troubling climatic shift.
According to data from the Telangana State Development Planning Society, districts like Kumuram Bheem Asifabad and Adilabad recorded average maximum temperatures of 42.9°C, significantly above their normal values of 40.4°C and 41.1°C, respectively. Similarly, Karimnagar and Kamareddy saw deviations of over 2°C from their historical norms. Even relatively cooler districts such as Medak and Sangareddy showed noticeable increases, underscoring the widespread nature of the anomaly. Out of the 33 districts listed, more than 20 reported a temperature departure of over 1°C, with the highest deviation recorded in Komaram Bheem (2.5°C above normal).
Experts trace this unsettling rise back to changing weather patterns since 2021. “A combination of dry northwesterly winds, diminishing forest cover, and rapid urbanisation are being blamed for the intensifying heat. The drying winds from the northwest not only push hot air into Telangana but also reduce atmospheric moisture, worsening the heatwave-like conditions,” said Mahesh Pahlawat from Skymet, a private weather forecasting agency.
Equally concerning is the loss of forest cover in the state. Data shows that Telangana’s recorded forest area (RFA) saw a decline from 18,561.98 sq km in 2021 to 18,456.11 sq km in 2023. While this may appear minimal at first glance, environmentalists warn that even small losses in green cover—especially around urban and semi-urban areas—can have outsized impacts on local temperature regulation.
“Urbanisation, particularly in and around cities like Hyderabad, is accelerating this trend. Over-concretisation leads to the creation of heat islands, where built-up areas absorb and re-emit the sun’s heat more than natural landscapes. As a result, cities are heating up faster and retaining that heat for longer durations, with minimal night-time cooling,” said Narsimha Reddy Donthi.
In fact, the archives of the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Department from 2010 to 2021 show that between 2010 and 2014, Hyderabad witnessed a growth of 50.7 million sq ft in its total commercial built-up area. Subsequently, from 2015 to 2019, this area expanded by 100.44 million sq ft. Various reports reiterated how the land surface temperature is increasing due to excessive concretisation leading to an increase in temperatures.
The city’s land surface temperature (LST) is rising by 0.75 degrees Celsius each decade, a rate only slightly lower than metro cities like Delhi and Pune (0.90 degrees Celsius) and Bengaluru (0.81 degrees Celsius), marking its position in the top 10 among 141 Indian cities witnessing increasing temperatures. The study titled “Urbanisation and Regional Climate Change-Linked Warming of Indian Cities,” conducted by professors from IIT Bhubaneswar, attributed urbanisation as the major reason behind the increase in LST.
The report read: “The changed urban landscape no longer benefits from evaporative cooling, but accumulates heat due to factors such as higher-thermal-inertia surfaces (for example, concrete and asphalt), modified convection efficiency and surface albedo, and enhanced anthropogenic activity, thus leading to the well-known urban heat island (UHI) effect, which subsequently affects other climate parameters (rainfall, pollution, and so on).”
Meteorologists said what makes this year’s temperature spike stand out is not just its intensity but also its uniformity across districts. “Even typically moderate zones like Hyderabad, Rangareddy, and Vikarabad are reporting higher-than-normal averages. The trend reveals how both rural and urban landscapes are being impacted in tandem and hints at a structural shift in the region’s climate behaviour,” said an official from IMD.
“Unless immediate attention is paid to improving green cover, implementing sustainable urban planning, and addressing regional climate adaptation, Telangana may be looking at a new normal of extreme summer temperatures—one that threatens public health, agriculture, and ecological balance,” said professor Rahul Goel from IIT Delhi, who is researching changing weather patterns leading to air pollution and rising temperatures.
