Srinagar, Oct 20: A scathing reminder of the escalation of climate extremes, Srinagar and Itanagar had the highest rises in maximum temperatures against seasonal averages this summer.

Both cities endured a staggering 5 degree Celsius surge on July 20 this year.

The data, compiled by Down to Earth, and based on Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Heat Tracker, shows unprecedented spike topped anomalies across 12 Indian capitals with daytime highs exceeding normals.

In addition, 18 cities, including Srinagar and Itanagar, saw their minimum temperatures climb 3 degrees Celsius above average.

This turned the nights into nightmares, with unrelenting heat that refused to ebb while the sun set.

This July 20 event, attested by IMD data, was not an outlier but the definition of a year of re

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