Summer Before Its Time: A Warning We Can No Longer Ignore

Summer has arrived early this year not by a few casual days, but with a disturbing intensity weeks ahead of the calendar’s promise. February itself has begun to feel like April. In parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, temperatures have already crossed uncomfortable thresholds, forcing schools to reconsider schedules and farmers to rethink irrigation cycles. What was once called “unseasonal heat” is now quietly becoming seasonal reality. The real question is not whether summer came early. The real question is: are we prepared for a future where this becomes the norm?

Climate Change: From Theory to Lived Experience

For years, climate change was discussed in conferences, policy documents, and international summits. Now it is felt in our homes, fields, and streets. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), India has been witnessing rising average temperatures and more frequent heatwave conditions over the past decade. What makes early summers alarming is not just the heat itself but the pattern of shorter winters, erratic rainfall, and prolonged dry spells.

Scientists have repeatedly pointed to global warming driven by greenhouse gas emissions. India may not be the largest historical contributor to emissions, but it is among the most vulnerable nations due to its geography and population density. An early summer is not an isolated event; it is part of a broader climate shift that includes melting Himalayan glaciers, stressed water resources, and increased extreme weather events.

The Agricultural Shock

For an agrarian state like Andhra Pradesh, early heat is not a mere discomfort it is an economic threat. Rabi crops such as wheat, maize, and pulses depend on specific temperature cycles. A sudden spike during the grain-filling stage can significantly reduce yields. Mango orchards, particularly in districts like Chittoor and Krishna, are sensitive to temperature fluctuations during flowering.

Farmers already battling rising input costs and unpredictable rainfall now face climate volatility as an added burden. Crop insurance mechanisms exist, but claim settlements are often delayed or inadequate. If early summers become routine, agricultural planning itself must be restructured from crop selection to sowing cycles.

Water Stress: A Looming Crisis

An early summer accelerates evaporation. Reservoirs that should ideally retain water until late summer begin to show declining levels prematurely. Groundwater tables, already under stress due to over-extraction, may fall further. Urban centres such as Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam could face drinking water pressures earlier than expected.

India’s water governance remains fragmented. Rainwater harvesting is mandated in many cities but poorly enforced. Tank restoration projects are announced with fanfare but implemented inconsistently. If February feels like April today, what will May feel like tomorrow?

Public Health and Labour Concerns

Heat is not merely an environmental issue, it is a public health emergency. Heatstroke cases rise, dehydration becomes common, and vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children, and outdoor labourers face heightened risks. Construction workers, agricultural labourers, and street vendors bear the brunt of extreme heat.

The government has introduced Heat Action Plans in several states. However, implementation gaps persist. Cooling centres, awareness campaigns, and work-hour adjustments are not uniformly enforced. Urban planning rarely factors in heat resilience. Concrete-heavy cities, with shrinking green cover, trap heat and create “urban heat islands.”

Urban Planning Failure

Why do our cities become furnaces? Because development has prioritised speed over sustainability. Lakes are encroached upon, tree cover is reduced for roads and buildings, and natural ventilation corridors are blocked. The loss of wetlands not only reduces biodiversity but also removes natural cooling systems.

In coastal Andhra, humidity combined with high temperatures increases discomfort and health risk. Yet building designs rarely incorporate passive cooling techniques. Air-conditioners may provide short-term relief but worsen long-term emissions creating a vicious cycle.

Policy Gaps and Political Silence

Despite recurring warnings, climate adaptation rarely becomes a core political issue. Elections revolve around welfare schemes, infrastructure projects, and identity politics. Environmental sustainability remains a side note.

India has pledged climate commitments under global frameworks, but local governance must translate these into actionable steps. Urban local bodies need climate budgets. Rural development schemes must integrate drought resilience. Renewable energy expansion must accelerate beyond targets.

An early summer should trigger emergency cabinet discussions, not just weather bulletins.

The Social Inequality of Heat

Heat is deeply unequal. The affluent retreat into air-conditioned homes and offices. The poor continue to work under open skies. Slum settlements with tin roofs turn into ovens. Access to drinking water becomes a daily struggle.

Climate change magnifies existing inequalities. It is no coincidence that the most affected are those least responsible for emissions. Thus, climate policy must also be social policy — ensuring cooling shelters, public water stations, shaded bus stops, and affordable electricity access.

The Way Forward

First, early warning systems must be strengthened. Real-time data from the India Meteorological Department should be integrated with district-level response plans.

Second, agriculture must adapt to promoting heat-resistant crop varieties and micro-irrigation systems.

Third, urban greening drives must move beyond symbolic plantation campaigns to sustained ecological restoration.

Fourth, public awareness must change behaviour from water conservation to energy efficiency.

Most importantly, climate resilience must become a mainstream governance priority.

Conclusion: A Test of Responsibility

Summer’s early arrival is not merely a seasonal anomaly. It is a warning bell. Nature is sending signals rising temperatures, drying reservoirs, and stressed crops. The choice before us is clear: adapt with foresight or suffer with regret.

If February feels like April today, tomorrow’s children may inherit a calendar where seasons exist only in textbooks. The question is not whether summer has arrived early. The question is whether our response will arrive on time.