- March and April 2022 heatwaves in South Asia had different atmospheric causes.
- Dry soil from the March event worsened the April heatwave.
- Research stresses the need for better forecasting and preparedness.
A new study by IIT Bombay and Germany’s Johannes Gutenberg University has uncovered why South Asia experiences back-to-back extreme heatwaves.
In contrast, the April heatwave was not wind-driven but rather the result of residual dry soil conditions and heat transported from neighboring regions like Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Heatwaves Feeding Heatwaves: New Research Reveals Dangerous Climate Cycle in South Asia
The March 2022 heatwave in South Asia wasn’t just unusually early—it was powered by a specific atmospheric event. Rossby waves, meanders in high-altitude winds, intensified and disrupted the subtropical jet stream, concentrating heat over the region. These types of waves are becoming more variable under climate change, increasing the unpredictability of heat patterns.
By April 2022, the atmospheric conditions had changed, but the heat didn’t let up. What replaced high-altitude wind dynamics was something even more insidious—dry soil and heat transfer from western neighbors. The land, scorched and depleted of moisture from the March event, had lost its natural cooling mechanism.
This led to a compounding crisis: With no soil moisture to evaporate, nearly all solar radiation turned into heat. This kind of cycle, where one climate event worsens the next, is now being flagged as a key danger for densely populated and agrarian regions like India and Pakistan.
The study suggests that tackling extreme heatwaves will require more than just better forecasts—it will demand soil moisture monitoring, early-warning systems, and adaptive agriculture strategies. With climate change making such sequences more common, the time for intervention is narrowing.
This research makes it clear: South Asia’s future heatwaves won’t just be hotter—they’ll be more interconnected. Without urgent climate action and local adaptation, today’s rare extremes could become tomorrow’s normal.
“Climate change isn’t just a storm on the horizon—it’s a pattern already in motion.” – Christiana Figueres
