New Delhi, May 4 -- India is no longer experiencing summer the way it once did. The season now arrives earlier, lingers longer and strikes harder - a stark imprint of global warming.

This year has been particularly alarming. April brought intense heat, early heatwaves and temperatures soaring past 40-45degC across several regions. On 27 April, an unprecedented development underscored the severity: all of the world's 50 hottest cities were in India.

While rainfall in parts of the country has since brought some respite, several heat hotspots continue to record elevated temperatures.

Mint examines how severe India's heat stress has become, how days and nights are warming, and what this means for health and productivity.

Last month, high ...