One heatwave can lead to back-to-back hot spells: Study

A heatwave can create conditions in the environment conducive for the next one, which can increase the chances of back-to-back heatwaves, a new study has suggested.

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A team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and Germany’s Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz looked at why South Asia experienced extreme heat events one after the other during March and April 2022.

Temperatures reached extraordinary levels for that time of the year across the region, including India and Pakistan, which were consistently 3-8 degrees Celsius above average. The prolonged period of hot weather continued into May, too.

The findings of the study, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, also showed a "concerning pattern,” whereby the succeeding heatwave is more intense, the researchers said.

The extreme heat of the first heatwave removes moisture from the soil, making it dry. Excess dryness can then trigger a cycle of atmospheric processes, making the next spell even worse, they said.