Indoor Infernos: India’s Urban Heat Crisis Turns Homes Into Suffocating Traps

As temperatures soar to alarming levels across India’s major cities, the nation faces an unprecedented urban heat crisis that’s affecting millions of residents. In 2025, New Delhi and other major urban areas recorded temperatures 5°C above seasonal averages, turning homes into dangerous heat traps. Northwest India is now experiencing twice the normal number of heatwave days, rising from 5-6 to 10-12 days per season.

The crisis is most severe indoors. Poorly built housing with inadequate insulation and ventilation often becomes hotter inside than outside. For families in slums and informal settlements, the situation is dire. Many homes have metal roofing that absorbs heat and lack proper windows for air flow. Indoor temperatures can climb to dangerous levels, especially during power outages that can last up to 16 hours. The IPCC AR6 report has definitively linked these increased heatwaves to climate change in South Asia.

Trapped in heat: India’s poorest face life-threatening indoor temperatures during extended power outages.

These conditions are causing serious health problems. Hospitals report increasing cases of heatstroke, dehydration, and breathing difficulties. The elderly, children, and pregnant women face the highest risks. Many people can’t sleep properly due to nighttime heat, leading to additional health complications. Recent data shows that warm nights in Indian cities have increased by 32% over the past decade due to climate change, further worsening the sleep deprivation crisis.

The urban heat problem stems from both global climate change and local factors. Cities are now up to 3°C warmer than historical averages. Dark surfaces like roads and buildings absorb heat during the day and release it at night, creating “heat islands” where temperatures stay dangerously high. Adopting geothermal heat pumps could provide sustainable cooling solutions for urban buildings while reducing pressure on the electricity grid.

The economic impact is severe, especially for daily wage workers who can’t afford to miss work despite unsafe conditions. Many schools close during extreme heat, disrupting education. Food prices rise as urban agriculture suffers and supply chains face delays.

Infrastructure is also failing under the strain. Electricity grids overload as demand for cooling increases, causing blackouts that make the problem worse. Water shortages grow more severe as consumption rises. Emergency services struggle to respond to heat-related crises.

The early arrival of heatwaves is now catching cities unprepared, making an already serious situation even more dangerous for urban residents.