SynopsisIndian cities are currently the hottest globally, with 97 out of the top 100 hottest locations. Cities in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Odisha are experiencing extreme heat. Temperatures are reaching punishing highs, with little relief even at night. This prolonged heatwave is impacting public health, leading to increased cases of heat-related illnesses.Listen to this article in summarized formatGetty ImagesA man cools himself with water from a public drinking water facility during hot weather conditions at sunset on May 21, 2026 in Allahabad, India. Roads shimmered, metal railings became untouchable, and weather trackers are flashing the same pattern over and over again — Indian cities dominating the list of the hottest places on the planet. After topping with 99 out of 100 hottest cities in the world last week, India has again bagged the dominant spot on Thursday with 97 out of 100.Live global temperature rankings agency AQI this week showed the continuation of the extraordinary concentration of Indian cities in the world’s top 100 hottest locations, underscoring the scale of the heatwave gripping the country.Also Read | Beating the Heat: India’s data centre dream and the 50°C reality in its pathOut of the 100 cities, live data as of May 22 2.49pm showed three are from Nepal, while 97 are from India. Cities from Odisha, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, featured in the top in the ranks.Balangir in Odisha, Sasaram in Bihar and Varanasi in UP were among the three hottest locations globally, each recording temperatures around 47 to 48 degrees Celsius. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana also featured the top 50 of the list as scorching winds and dry weather conditions intensified the heat.Among all states, Uttar Pradesh appears most frequently in the rankings, with cities such as Prayagraj, Varanasi, Mirzapur, Ghazipur, Banda and Fatehpur repeatedly recording extreme daytime temperatures. Maharashtra follows closely, particularly due to cities in the Vidarbha region including Chandrapur, Nagpur, Wardha and Amravati. Chhattisgarh also features prominently, with Raipur, Bilaspur, Bhilai and Durg appearing among the hottest urban centres in the country.Also Read | India generates record power as demand surges in severe heatwaveFrom Rajasthan’s desert districts to the plains of Uttar Pradesh and the heat-battered stretches of Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region, temperatures have surged to punishing highs rarely seen this early and this consistently in the season.Central India too continued to endure extreme temperatures.Raipur, Bilaspur, and Durg in Chhattisgarh recorded severe heat conditions, while Balangir and Rourkela in Odisha witnessed sweltering daytime temperatures under clear skies. Weather conditions across most of these cities were marked as “Extreme Hot” by the live ranking platform.RankCityTemperatureStatus1Balangir, Odisha48°CExtreme Hot2Sasaram, Bihar48°CExtreme Hot3Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh47°CExtreme Hot4Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh47°CExtreme Hot5Mahasamund, Chhattisgarh47°CExtreme Hot6Rajamahendravaram, Andhra Pradesh47°CExtreme Hot7Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh47°CExtreme Hot8Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh47°CExtreme Hot9Buxar, Bihar47°CExtreme Hot10Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh47°CExtreme Hot11Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh47°CExtreme Hot12Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh47°CExtreme Hot13Khammam, Telangana47°CExtreme Hot14Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh47°CExtreme Hot15Rudrapur, Uttarakhand47°CExtreme Hot16Raipur, Chhattisgarh47°CExtreme Hot17Rourkela, Odisha47°CExtreme Hot18Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh47°CExtreme Hot19Durg, Chhattisgarh47°CExtreme Hot20Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh47°CExtreme Hot21Rampur, Uttar Pradesh47°CExtreme Hot22Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh47°CExtreme Hot23Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh47°CExtreme Hot24Chandrapur, Maharashtra47°CExtreme Hot25Akbarpur, Uttar Pradesh46°CExtreme Hot26Dhangadhi, Nepal46°CExtreme Hot27Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh46°CExtreme Hot28Amroha, Uttar Pradesh46°CExtreme Hot29Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh46°CExtreme Hot30Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh46°CExtreme Hot31Kurukshetra, Haryana46°CExtreme Hot32Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh46°CExtreme Hot33Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh46°CExtreme Hot34Budaun, Uttar Pradesh46°CExtreme Hot35Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh46°CExtreme Hot36Siddharthnagar, Uttar Pradesh46°CExtreme Hot37Nepalgunj, Nepal46°CExtreme Hot38Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh46°CExtreme Hot39Etawah, Uttar Pradesh46°CExtreme Hot40Shamli, Uttar Pradesh46°CExtreme Hot41Suryapet, Telangana46°CExtreme Hot42Patiala, Punjab46°CExtreme Hot43Etah, Uttar Pradesh46°CExtreme Hot44Kaithal, Haryana46°CExtreme Hot45Banda, Uttar Pradesh46°CExtreme Hot46Ambala, Haryana46°CExtreme Hot47Karnal, Haryana46°CExtreme Hot48Sangrur, Punjab46°CExtreme Hot49Panipat, Haryana46°CExtreme Hot50Bathinda, Punjab46°CExtreme Hot51Sirsa, Haryana46°CExtreme Hot52Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh46°CExtreme Hot53Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh46°CExtreme Hot54Siwan, Bihar46°CExtreme Hot55Warangal, Telangana46°CExtreme Hot56Haridwar, Uttarakhand46°CExtreme Hot57Fatehabad, Haryana46°CExtreme Hot58Begusarai, Bihar46°CExtreme Hot59Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan45°CExtreme Hot60Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab45°CExtreme Hot61Kulti, West Bengal45°CExtreme Hot62Asansol, West Bengal45°CExtreme Hot63Karimnagar, Telangana45°CExtreme Hot64Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh45°CExtreme Hot65Jind, Haryana45°CExtreme Hot66Bankura, West Bengal45°CExtreme Hot67Durgapur, West Bengal45°CExtreme Hot68Ludhiana, Punjab45°CExtreme Hot69Dhanbad, Jharkhand45°CExtreme Hot70Berhampore, West Bengal45°CExtreme Hot71Hisar, Haryana45°CExtreme Hot72Munger, Bihar45°CExtreme Hot73Baharampur, West Bengal45°CExtreme Hot74Chandigarh, Chandigarh45°CExtreme Hot75Jagtial, Telangana45°CExtreme Hot76Rewa, Madhya Pradesh45°CExtreme Hot77Panchkula, Haryana45°CExtreme Hot78Bhagalpur, Bihar45°CExtreme Hot79Adilabad, Telangana45°CExtreme Hot80Lumbini Sanskritik, Nepal45°CExtreme Hot81Mohali, Punjab45°CExtreme Hot82Jalandhar, Punjab45°CExtreme Hot83Bhiwani, Haryana44°CExtreme Hot84Charkhi Dadri, Haryana44°CExtreme Hot85Nalgonda, Telangana44°CExtreme Hot86Bettiah, Bihar44°CExtreme Hot87Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh44°CExtreme Hot88Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh44°CExtreme Hot89Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh44°CExtreme Hot90Bharatpur, Rajasthan44°CExtreme Hot91Agra, Uttar Pradesh44°CExtreme Hot92Jangaon, Telangana44°CExtreme Hot93Hathras, Uttar Pradesh44°CExtreme Hot94Faridkot, Punjab44°CExtreme Hot95Mathura, Uttar Pradesh44°CExtreme Hot96Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh44°CExtreme Hot97Satna, Madhya Pradesh44°CExtreme Hot98Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh44°CExtreme Hot99Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh44°CExtreme Hot100Motihari, Bihar44°CExtreme HotClimate experts warn that these extreme heat episodes are becoming more frequent and more geographically widespread.Traditionally hotter pockets like Rajasthan are now being joined by eastern and central Indian regions that previously experienced shorter bursts of extreme temperatures. Recent reports showed cities in Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha also featuring prominently among the hottest places globally.Unlike isolated heat spikes, the current pattern stretches across multiple states simultaneously, affecting densely populated urban centres as well as smaller districts.Meteorologists say the combination of dry winds, cloudless skies and delayed pre-monsoon activity has intensified the heatwave.What makes the current situation particularly alarming is not just the daytime peak, but the absence of relief at night. Several cities are experiencing unusually warm nights, keeping average temperatures elevated for longer periods and increasing health risks, especially for outdoor workers, children and the elderly. Doctors in heatwave-hit regions have reported a rise in dehydration, heat exhaustion and sunstroke cases.Read More News on