A new IMD study reveals that between 1971 and 2022, heat-affected areas in central and northwest India grew by 20–40% every decade. Northwest India? It’s now the country’s heat epicentre; soaring daytime temps, intense heatwaves, drying soils. South India? Fastest drying region; Odisha, Andhra, Tamil Nadu hit hard by droughts. Northeast? Swinging wildly between floods and dry spells. One-size-fits-all climate plans won’t work anymore. The study pushes for region-specific strategies: heat action in the northwest, drought resilience in the south, flood management in the northeast. Even better? Scientists say this new Climate Extremes Index can be used annually to track where stress is building; so governments can act before it’s too late. Because when the heat doesn’t just rise... it spreads.