Why has the weather been so tempestuous in India?

It's hot, it's windy, it's rainy and then it's cold. What is up with the weather in India?

Assam is experiencing devastating rains that have left over 7 lakh affected. Two dams in Kerala were opened as the waters reached alarm levels while normal life was affected in several districts of the coastal state.

North India, meanwhile, witnessed punishing heat with temperatures lingering around 45 degrees celsius in many states mid-March onwards.

Then, one Monday morning, rains hit, leaving trees uprooted, and delaying over a hundred flights.

All this before the beginning of the official monsoon season. 

The rains have been attributed to unusually heavy pre-monsoon showers and the overall climate change. According to experts, climate change accounts for more and more concentrated rain and heavy episodes of rainfall. 

Researchers are now also investigating how much human-caused climate change contributed to the extreme weather episodes. But scientists have long warned that more frequent and more extreme heatwaves are some of the most direct consequences of rising global average temperatures.

Climate change is already rendering parts of the world unlivable, and in South Asia, survival now depends on artificial cooling. That cooling demands power. 

Also watch: Heavy rains and strong winds lash Delhi; power cuts reported, flights disrupted

To break this cycle that continues to add to the climate crisis, India will need to move away from coal and find a greener alternative, according to experts.