India braces for severe summer; Health Ministry issues nationwide heatwave alert

The Union Health Ministry has issued a fresh alert to states and union territories, urging India to be prepared immediately as forecasters predict an exceptionally harsh heatwave season in 2026.

In a communication to state health officials, the health ministry cited the India Meteorological Department’s updated seasonal outlook, which predicts above-normal heatwave days between April and June across most of the country.

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The health minister said in an advisory: “It is highlighted that above-normal heatwave days are expected in Eastern, Central and Northwest India and parts of the South-East Peninsula, Odisha, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and many coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh from April to June 2026. Additionally, isolated parts of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka are also likely to be affected, as predicted by the IMD.” Dated April 23.

The health ministry had also issued a health advisory in March, stating that the upcoming summer was already cause for concern.\

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The Ministry has directed all states and union territories to take four immediate steps, including setting up dedicated Heatstroke Management Units in every healthcare facility, ensuring ambulance services are fully functional and adequately staffed, disseminating timely early warnings to communities for preventive action and reporting heatstroke cases in real time through the Ministry’s Integrated Health Information Platform, known as IHIP. The health minister emphasized that timely reporting is critical to track the extent of the crisis and mobilize resources where they are needed most.

The ministry has urged state chief secretaries to personally review hot season preparedness and guide implementation on the ground.

Additionally, “Your personal intervention in reviewing warm season preparedness, while ensuring the implementation of the above-mentioned actions, will be key to protecting public health and preventing preventable heat-related deaths,” the advisory said.