A record-breaking, deadly heatwave sweeping South Asia has pushed temperatures to dangerous highs, disrupting daily life for hundreds of millions and raising new concerns about the vulnerability of one of the world’s most densely populated regions.Countries including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have seen temperatures soar well above seasonal averages, with some areas approaching or exceeding 45-50 degrees Celsius (113-122 degrees Fahrenheit).Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listIn Pakistan, at least 10 people were reported to have died from heat-related complications on Tuesday, according to local emergency services, while multiple deaths related to the heat have also been reported in neighbouring India.Such conditions are not entirely new in the region, as heatwaves have become a regular feature of South Asia’s pre-monsoon summer. However, scientists and meteorological agencies say the intensity, duration and geographic spread of recent heat events are unprecedented.Increasingly, experts are linking these extremes to human-driven climate change, which is causing extremes in natural weather patterns.As governments scramble to respond, the crisis is exposing deep inequalities across the region – determining who bears the greatest burden, and who is most able to withstand it.What is causing heatwaves so early in the year?India is experiencing an “unusually early and intense heatwave”, Anjal Prakash, research director at the Bharti Institute of Public Policy think tank in India, told Al Jazeera.“High-pressure systems dominate, trapping hot air near the surface like a dome, preventing it from rising and cooling,” Prakash explained. Advertisement “This sinking air compres …
