Wayanad, a hill district in India’s Kerala, is experiencing a notable warming trend, according to data collected by the Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology. Their community weather-monitoring network, one of India’s most extensive local weather-monitoring experiments, has recorded an average temperature increase of approximately 1.9°C for September 2026 compared to the previous three years.
The district, known for its cool climate, is seeing maximum temperatures exceed 30°C for extended periods. This warming, combined with soil temperature increases, moisture stress, and uncertain rainfall, poses significant challenges for Wayanad’s agriculture, including coffee and pepper cultivation, and its tourism industry. Researchers note that rising temperatures and declining soil moisture could lead to rapid declines in water tables and impact wetland crops like paddy.
Studies on coffee farms in the region have already identified changing rainfall and temperature patterns as major constraints on productivity. Wayanad’s climate is becoming less predictable, potentially leading to a combination of drought-like conditions and destructive rainfall within single agricultural cycles. These changes also have implications for human health and wildlife, and are potentially exacerbated by land-use changes such as expanding built-up areas and declining vegetation cover.
Source: Down To Earth