This paper investigates the impact of exposure to extreme temperature on crop yields of a range of crops cultivated in the State of Karnataka, India. The crops examined in this study are rice, sorghum (jowar), finger millet (ragi), and pigeon pea.

Heat waves are expected to intensify around the globe in the future, with potential increase in heat stress and heat-induced mortality in the absence of adaptation measures. India has a high current exposure to heat waves, and with limited adaptive capacity, impacts of increased heat waves might be quite severe. This paper presents the first projections of future heat waves in India based on multiple climate models and scenarios for CMIP5 data. We find that heat waves are projected to be more intense, have longer durations and occur at a higher frequency and earlier in the year.