UTCI max

Summers across India are arriving earlier and lasting longer. While rains and storms have offered brief relief in some regions, the broader pattern is clear. Yet what is often overlooked is that actual heat stress on the body goes well beyond air temperature.

This is where the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) becomes essential. UTCI captures how the human body experiences heat by accounting for temperature, humidity, wind and solar radiation together. It reflects the real feel rather than the recorded temperature: at 37°C, the body may experience conditions equivalent to 44°C under humid and still conditions.

For outdoor workers and vulnerable communities with limited access to shade, water or rest, prolonged exposure to these conditions translates directly into serious health risks and lost income. Heat is unequal, and its cascading impacts are frequently underestimated. Standard heat advisories often recommend measures that remain out of reach for lakhs of informal workers.

Know more in this immersive story by Alli Serona on the lived realities of urban heat.