The year 1877… India was under British rule and there was a deathly silence in the streets of Bombay Presidency. The temperature had increased so much that the ground was bursting. Grains were available at the price of gold. Famine documents preserved in the British Library show that in 1877 the number of deaths in Bombay Presidency (Maharashtra and Gujarat) alone broke all records. The scary thing was that people were dying not of hunger, but of diseases like fever and diarrhea, because the heat had dried up water wells and ponds. Malnutrition was leaving the body incapable of fighting against diseases. Then the world learned that when El Nino comes, it causes devastation in India. Now the year is 2026 and the biggest El Nino since 1877 is coming again…

Question 1: How much devastation did the heat cause in 1877 and did 2 crore people really die?

answer: According to the report of the US Meteorological Department National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a severe El Nino occurred in the Pacific Ocean in 1876-77. Due to this the Indian monsoon became weak. There was no rain, the fields dried up and no grains were produced. There was famine in India, but the British continued exporting grains. In 1877, while the people of India were dying of hunger, 3.2 lakh tons of wheat was sent to England. The British government also showed laxity in relief work. According to reports, the conditions in the relief camps were so bad that people were dying there too.

According to NOAA’s Journal of Climate Report 2018, there were 1.22 crore to 2.93 crore deaths in India. During that time, about 4% of the world’s population had died due to extreme heat, drought and crop failure. In Bombay Presidency (Maharashtra and Gujarat) alone, 4,86,302 deaths were recorded in 1877. Impact of the famine of 1877-78:

• 6,70,000 square kilometer area was affected.
• A total of 5.85 crore (58.5 million) people were affected by the famine.
• Madras, Mysore, Hyderabad and Bombay were completely destroyed.
• It was only after this tragedy that the ‘Famine Code’ was created for the first time in 1880.

Meteorologists say that now El Nino is forming again in 2026, which will be more dangerous than 1877. This El Nino can bring the worst destruction in the last 140 years.

Question 2: Will 2026 really be the hottest in the last 140 years?

answer: Yes, scientists believe that there are chances of historic heat in 2026. The biggest reason for this is Super El Nino. According to NOAA, there is a 62% chance of El Nino occurring between June-August 2026, which may rise above 80% in the coming months. This El Nino could be of the ‘Super’ category, which means that the temperature of the Pacific Ocean will increase much more than normal.

When El Nino occurs, India experiences more heat and the monsoon remains weak. This is why Anjal Prakash, author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, has warned that even 40 degrees can seem like 50 degrees, if the humidity is high.

Right now April 2026 is going on, so the decision for the entire year has not been taken. But data from organizations like Carbon Brief, NOAA, NASA, Copernicus and Barclay Earth show that 2026 will be the hottest in the last 140 years. According to many estimates, this could become the second hottest year. 2024 is expected to be the hottest year yet, followed by 2023 and 2025.

There is a possibility of a strong El Nino in 2026, which could further increase global temperatures. The average temperature of January-March 2026 was the fourth hottest on record. March 2026 was the second or fourth hottest month. Whether this will be the hottest year in 140 years (since 1880) or not will become clear after May-June, but the beginning itself is very hot.

Question 3: What is the condition of summer in India these days?

answer: The heat in India has started showing its effects in April itself. On 27th April 2027:

Uttar Pradesh- most affected

• To tie: 47.4 degrees Celsius (hottest city in the country)
• Prayagraj: 45.7 degrees Celsius
• Varanasi: 44 degrees Celsius

There is a heatwave alert in more than 50 districts of Uttar Pradesh. There is a severe heat wave warning in 15 districts of Eastern UP – Banda, Chitrakoot, Kaushambi, Prayagraj, Fatehpur, Pratapgarh, Mirzapur, Varanasi, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Azamgarh, Mau, Ballia.

Madhya Pradesh: School holiday till 8th

• Bhopal: 42.4 degrees Celsius (3.2 degrees Celsius above normal)
• Khajuraho and Ratlam: 45 degrees Celsius

Due to the scorching heat, holidays up to 8th class have been declared in all the schools of many cities including Bhopal, Indore and Gwalior till 30th April.

Rajasthan, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana: Heatwave and heatstroke outbreak

• Delhi: 42.1 degrees Celsius (April 27) and likely to reach 44 degrees Celsius on April 28
• Narnaul (Haryana): 44.2 degrees Celsius
• Bathinda (Punjab): 43.7 degrees Celsius

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta has announced cool roof, misting system at bus stops, ORS for school children, relief for construction workers to deal with the heat wave. Even heatstroke units and bathtubs have been installed in the hospitals of Varanasi.

Apart from this, the country’s peak power demand was recorded at 256.11 GW on April 26, 2026, which also broke the previous record of 252.07 GW. Electricity consumption due to AC, coolers and fans is also breaking records.

Question 4: Why is there a more severe heat wave in 2026 than in 1877?

answer: Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and NOAA give 6 major reasons for the extreme heat:

1. Danger of Wet-Bulb Temperature: In 1877, people used to sit under trees to hide from the sun. Today cities are concrete jungles, but the real danger is moisture. When the temperature is 45 degrees Celsius and there is a lot of humidity, the sweat does not dry. The body cannot keep itself cool. Death can occur due to heart attack and organ failure within 3-4 hours.
2. Heat Dome: A high-pressure system is forming in the sky in states like Rajasthan, UP and MP. It works like a dome. Prevents hot air from rising up and makes it even hotter by pressing it down. Due to this, clouds are not formed and sunlight falls directly on the earth. This is the reason why the temperature has remained around 44-45 degrees Celsius for several consecutive days.
3. Urban Heat Island Effect: Cities were small in 1877. Today, in metropolitan cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai, the heat emanating from concrete, asphalt and AC has further increased the temperature. Cities are not getting cold even at night. Night heat has also started.
4. Increasing population and disorder: In 1877, the population of India was about 25 crores. Today it is more than 140 crores. More people means more lives in danger. There are heat action plans in India, but the poor, farmers, laborers and children are not safe.
5. Dependence on electricity: In 1877 there were not even fans to escape the heat. Today, if there is no electricity, AC and fans will not work, but it is difficult to handle the demand for so much electricity. The record power demand of 2026 (252 GW) is a warning that we are on the brink of a power crisis. Even today in India, 70% of the electricity is generated from coal, which is a major reason for climate change.
6. Danger of monsoon failure: El Nino generally weakens the monsoon. In the 2023 El Nino year, India received less than normal rainfall. The same thing can happen in 2026, i.e. less rainfall, drought, crop failure, and then inflation and famine-like situations.

Apart from this, the danger of El Nino remains.

Question 5: When and how will we get relief from the heat?

answer: In the remaining summer of 2026 itself, IMD warns that there will be more heatwave days than normal in the eastern, central, north-west and south-eastern peninsular areas. Hot and humid weather will continue in coastal areas in April-June 2026. Humidity will increase further during monsoon, due to which the risk of humid heat wave in Northern India may increase by 125%. To avoid this, follow 6 steps:

• Keep track of time: Go out as little as possible between 12 noon to 4 pm. If you have to work, take rest in the shade for 10-15 minutes frequently.
• Water and Electrolytes: Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Take ORS, salt-sugar solution, lemon water, coconut water or curd-lassi. Your urine should be light yellow, if it is dark then understand that water is decreasing.
• Choice of clothes: Wear loose, cotton, light colored clothes. Do not wear black or synthetic clothes as they absorb heat. Keep a cap, towel or umbrella on your head.
• Keep home cool: Keep the curtains closed, run the fan and cooler. Let the air come in by opening the windows at night. If there is AC then keep it at 24-26 degrees.
• Keep an eye on the symptoms: Fatigue, dizziness, excessive sweating, high fever, vomiting, muscle pain and unconsciousness are danger signs. If this happens, immediately go to a cool place, drink water and consult a doctor.
• Caring for special people: The elderly, children, pregnant women, those with high BP or diabetes and laborers working in the open are most at risk. Keep good ventilation in the house and check it daily.

This relief is temporary. When El Nino arrives in full force in May-June, the temperature may rise again. The biggest worry will start after El Nino, if there is a weak monsoon this time, then not only will the heat increase, but the danger of drought and famine will also loom.