Extreme heat in India is increasing both in frequency and intensity. Delhi recorded its warmest night in six years while India experienced over 280 heatwave days between March and May 2022. Additionally In June 2024 alone, the country logged more than 40,000 suspected heat-stroke cases and at least 110 confirmed deaths, figures experts believe are substantial undercounts. 

The consequences of rising temperatures extend beyond health, contributing to economic losses—heat stress could reduce India’s GDP by an estimated 4.5% and threaten 35 million jobs by 2030. Urban areas are particularly affected due to the Urban Heat Island effect, where built environments can be up to 6 °C hotter than surrounding rural areas, and variations within cities are stark. 

Understanding the spatial distribution of heat exposure and its differential impacts on health and productivity is critical for designing targeted, equitable heat action plans. Explore the interactive map to see how heat exposure and coping capacity vary block by block across Delhi. 

Delhi’s heat isn’t experienced equally. With support from data.org, using satellite climate data and a survey of 2,368 households across all 70 Assembly Constituencies, this study maps how built environment, green cover, and appliance ownership shape who suffers most — from lost sleep and missed workdays to rising illness as temperatures climb.

A 3°C rise in experienced heat is linked to a 15-point jump in reported illness and a 10-point rise in missed work — with AC-owning households significantly better protected, and less able to afford it.

Click here to view the Map.

We have also made our dataset public, click here to view the survey data and the metadata:
– Survey data: CSV
– Survey metadata: CSV

The interactive map lets you toggle variables like temperature, green cover, and built-up area, and overlay different spatial layers to explore heat patterns across Delhi. Adjust the view to see how exposure and vulnerability shift neighbourhood by neighbourhood.