India, April 21 -- Delhi is heating up at an alarming pace, with mean Land Surface Temperature (LST) across the Capital rising by nearly 3 degrees Celsius (degC) in March over an 11-year period between 2015 and 2016, according to a new satellite-based analysis released on Monday.

The study, conducted by think-tank Envirocatalysts, examined data across 247 wards in Delhi, and found that the mean LST in the Capital increased from 29.1degC in March 2015 to 32.0degC in March 2026 - a rise of 2.9degC.

LST, measured using thermal sensors on satellites, is the radiative temperature of the land surface (soil or canopy), usually measured using thermal infrared or microwave sensors. It differs from air temperature, which is recorded over the surf...