Shillong : The once-revered cool climate of Shillong in Meghalaya has taken a dramatic turn, as the city experiences an unprecedented heatwave. Gone are the days of misty mornings and chilly evenings; residents are now grappling with soaring temperatures, a stark contrast to the hill station’s typical weather.

On Saturday, the mercury hit a scorching 29 degrees Celsius, a staggering 4.5 degrees above normal for this time of year. Even Sohra, renowned for its rainfall, recorded a high of 30.1 degrees Celsius.

While tourists bask in the unexpected sunshine, locals are struggling to cope. “We’ve never needed fans before. Blankets were our constant companions, even in summer,” lamented a hawker, fanning herself vigorously.

The disappearance of lush greenery and the drying up of rivers have exacerbated the situation. “There are hardly any trees left,” said a vegetable seller. “How can Shillong remain the same when its heart, the forest, is dying?”

The crisis is underscored by a USAID-UNDP study projecting a temperature rise of nearly 5 degrees Celsius in Shillong by 2080. Additionally, the state’s forest cover has shrunk by 73 square kilometers in just three years, according to the India State of Forest Report.

As the city transforms into an unfamiliar realm of heat, residents and environmentalists alike are raising alarms, demanding urgent action to restore Shillong’s ecological balance.