What living in one of the world’s hottest towns feels like

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day, reviewed by our editorial team. Read the full piece on the Associated Press or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Banda, a town in northern India, has endured weeks of extreme heat, with temperatures reaching 48.2°C (118.8°F) and ranking among the hottest places on Earth this year
• Residents are adapting through drastic measures, including sleeping at railway stations, cooling themselves with water and ice, and seeking medical care for heat-related illnesses

🔭 The context: India’s heat waves are becoming more frequent and intense as global temperatures rise
• Banda, located in Uttar Pradesh, one of India’s most heat-vulnerable states, has experienced increasing pressure on homes, hospitals and outdoor workers as high temperatures combine with unreliable electricity and limited cooling access

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Extreme heat is becoming a major climate adaptation challenge, particularly in vulnerable regions where many people work outdoors and lack reliable access to cooling
• Rising temperatures increase health risks, strain infrastructure and highlight the growing human impacts of climate change

⏭️ What’s next: Local authorities are expanding cooling centres, improving heat monitoring and distributing hydration supplies
• Experts warn that adaptation measures may become increasingly difficult without deeper global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

💬 One quote: “What is changing right now is the intensity, the duration and the number of people exposed to dangerous heat conditions.” – Abhiyant Tiwari, climate and health expert at NRDC India

📈 One stat: Banda reached 48.2°C in May 2026 and was recorded as the hottest place on Earth seven times this year

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