Frequency dominates intensity of future heat waves over India

Future changes in heat wave characteristics over India have been analyzed using Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiments (CORDEX) for South Asia (SA) regional climate model simulations for mid-term (2041–2060) and long-term (2081–2099) future under the representative concentration pathway (RCP) 4.5 and RCP 8.5 emission scenarios, respectively. SMHI_CSIRO-MK3.6 was found to be the best model in simulating heat wave trend over India for historical period. Future projections show a four-to-seven-fold increase in heat wave frequency for mid-term and long-term future under RCP 4.5 scenario, and five-to-ten-fold increase under RCP 8.5 scenario with increase in frequency dominating intensity in both the scenarios. Northwestern, Central, and South-central India emerged as future heat wave hotspots with largest increase in the south-central region. This high-resolution regional future projection of heat wave occurrence will serve as a baseline for developing transformational heat-resilient policies and adaptation measures to reduce potential impact on human health, agriculture, and infrastructure.