IT’S HAPPENING

📑 WHAT: A new study by climate scientists at the UK’s Met Office has found that climate change has made the odds of a record-breaking heatwave like the one currently baking northwestern India and Pakistan—100 times more likely to happen.

🧮 SPECIFICALLY: The natural probability of a heatwave exceeding average temperatures from 2010 is once in 312 years, but with climate change factored in, the chances increase to once in every 3.1 years.
☀️ A REALITY CHECK: Unreal temperatures are searing northwestern India and Pakistan. Crops have been damaged, schools are shut, power supplies are stretched. 

😓 Jacobabad in Pakistan's Sindh province hit 51 degrees Celsius on Sunday. 

🇮🇳 In Delhi, temperatures surpassed 49C the same day. The IMD has issued a Yellow Alert of another spell of heatwave till Friday.

💦 In Assam, at least ten people have died and lakhs have been affected due to floods and landslides caused by extremely heavy rainfall since last Friday. 

☔️ While heavy rainfall in Kerala and Karnataka is a sign of the coming monsoon, point to note—the rains are 6-7 days ahead of schedule.

🚨 In Uttarakhand, the Rudraprayag district administration has sounded a ‘Yellow Alert’ for the ongoing Chardham Yatra. Heavy rains, lightning are predicted in the area over the next few days. 

🧊 Several areas of Kashmir including Srinagar are reeling under a severe, dry heat wave. Temperature has crossed above 31 degree Celsius at many places. 

🔥 In J&K, at least three wildfires have broken out in forest areas near the border in the last few days. Two have been brought under control.

‼️ The third one broke out in the Mendhar sector on Monday and triggered the explosion of nearly half a dozen landmines that were part of India’s anti-infiltration obstacle system. Efforts to douse the fire are on..