Data report · Updated October 2026
Heatwave days and dog heatstroke risk in India: which states get the most heat, and which breeds suffer most
India logged 554 heatwave days in 2024, up from 230 in 2023, the Ministry of Earth Sciences told Parliament. Punjab and Uttarakhand averaged 22 heatwave days between April and June 2024, and Haryana 21. Half the breeds we cover, 29 of 58, score 2 or less out of 5 for heat tolerance, and every one of them is a foreign breed.
Key findings
- The Ministry of Earth Sciences told the Rajya Sabha on 5 December 2024 that India saw 554 heatwave days in 2024, compared with 230 in 2023.
- IMD counted 536 heatwave days across its 36 subdivisions in April to June 2024, the highest since 2010, including 181 in June alone.
- In 2024, 10 states averaged 10 or more heatwave days in April to June, tied with 2019 and second only to 13 states in 2010.
- Punjab and Uttarakhand averaged 22 heatwave days in summer 2024, Haryana 21, and Delhi, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh 18 each.
- Rajasthan has the highest 15-year average, 12.2 heatwave days per summer from 2010 to 2024.
- Delhi stayed above 40°C for 40 straight days from 13 May 2024, IMD said.
- Of the 58 breeds we cover, 13 score 1 out of 5 for heat, including the Pug, Siberian Husky, French Bulldog, Chow Chow and Saint Bernard.
- Seven of the 9 native Indian breeds we cover score 5 out of 5 for heat, and all 29 breeds scoring 2 or less are foreign.
- A UK study of 905,543 dogs found Chow Chows had 16.61 times the heatstroke odds of Labradors, and 14% of heatstroke cases were fatal.
How many heatwave days did India have in 2024?
India recorded 554 heatwave days in 2024, against 230 in 2023, according to a written reply by Minister of State Jitendra Singh in the Rajya Sabha on 5 December 2024. The count is summed across meteorological subdivisions, so one hot day over five subdivisions counts as five.
The summer season carried most of it. IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said on 1 July 2024 that April to June saw 536 heatwave days, the most since 2010. June alone had 181, beating the 177 of June 2010.
IMD declares a heatwave in the plains when the maximum temperature reaches at least 40°C and is 4.5°C or more above normal. Lower thresholds apply on the coast and in the hills.
Source: India Meteorological Department, in MoSPI EnviStats India 2025, Statement 4.01. Kerala, Mizoram, Chandigarh, Puducherry and Himachal Pradesh: no 2024 value reported.
Show the numbers
| Label | days |
|---|---|
| Punjab | 22 |
| Uttarakhand | 22 |
| Haryana | 21 |
| Delhi | 18 |
| Odisha | 18 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 18 |
| Jharkhand | 16 |
| Rajasthan | 16 |
| Bihar | 15 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 10 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 7 |
| Gujarat | 5 |
| West Bengal | 5 |
| Maharashtra | 2 |
| Assam | 1 |
| Chhattisgarh | 1 |
| Karnataka | 1 |
| Tamil Nadu | 1 |
| Telangana | 1 |
Embed this chart
Heatwave days by state
Over 15 summers, Rajasthan averages the most, 12.2 heatwave days per April to June season. Odisha follows at 10.7, then Jharkhand at 10.3, Haryana at 10.2 and Punjab at 10.0.
The pattern swings from year to year. In 2010, 13 states averaged 10 or more heatwave days. In 2020 and 2021 none did. In 2022 Rajasthan reached 26 and Punjab and Haryana 24, and then 2023 was mild in the north before 2024 came back hard.
The south is different. Karnataka averages 1.3 days and Tamil Nadu 4.7, but these states have long hot seasons with high humidity, which the heatwave count does not capture.
Computed by dogeats.in from IMD state averages in MoSPI EnviStats India 2025, Statement 4.01 (20 states with data).
Show the numbers
| Label | states |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 13 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 9 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 6 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 8 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 10 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 8 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 10 |
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| State | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 15-year average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Punjab | 18 | 6 | 17 | 11 | 12 | 3 | 5 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 24 | 5 | 22 | 10.0 |
| Uttarakhand | 32 | 0 | 27 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 22 | 8.9 |
| Haryana | 26 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 10 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 24 | 5 | 21 | 10.2 |
| Delhi | 23 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 17 | 4 | 18 | 8.2 |
| Odisha | 19 | 2 | 18 | 9 | 17 | 11 | 19 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 15 | 18 | 10.7 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 16 | 2 | 17 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 6 | 18 | 8.5 |
| Jharkhand | 26 | 1 | 19 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 13 | 16 | 10.3 |
| Rajasthan | 19 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 6 | 4 | 26 | 3 | 16 | 12.2 |
| Bihar | 18 | 1 | 20 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 18 | 15 | 8.5 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 9 | 8 | 16 | 11 | 16 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 15 | 10 | 9.7 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 20 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 7 | 7.1 |
| Gujarat | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 2.9 |
| West Bengal | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 3.6 |
| Maharashtra | 12 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5.6 |
| Assam | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.1 |
| Chhattisgarh | 11 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 3.3 |
| Karnataka | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1.3 |
| Tamil Nadu | 4 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 4.7 |
| Telangana | 13 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4.9 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
Blank cells are years where IMD reported no value. The figures are average heatwave days for each state, as published; they are not the count for any single city.
Heatwave days by city
IMD publishes these figures by state, so we give each city its state's value. In 2024, 9 of the 20 cities in our table sat in a state with 15 or more heatwave days: Delhi, Gurugram, Ludhiana, Dehradun, Lucknow, Jaipur, Patna, Ranchi and Bhubaneswar.
Extremes were higher than the averages. Churu in Rajasthan touched 50.5°C on 28 May 2024, the highest in the country that day. IMD said heatwave conditions had held over Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan since 17 May.
Read the city table with our breed guides in mind. Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad sit in the low class for heatwave days, yet our guides list them among the hardest cities for many breeds because of humidity.
| City | State | 2024 | 2020 to 2024 average | 2010 to 2024 average | Highest year | 2024 heat class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi | Delhi | 18 | 9.2 | 8.2 | 23 | High (15+ days) |
| Gurugram | Haryana | 21 | 11.0 | 10.2 | 26 | High (15+ days) |
| Ludhiana | Punjab | 22 | 10.8 | 10.0 | 24 | High (15+ days) |
| Dehradun | Uttarakhand | 22 | 7.4 | 8.9 | 32 | High (15+ days) |
| Lucknow | Uttar Pradesh | 18 | 8.4 | 8.5 | 18 | High (15+ days) |
| Jaipur | Rajasthan | 16 | 11.0 | 12.2 | 26 | High (15+ days) |
| Patna | Bihar | 15 | 8.2 | 8.5 | 20 | High (15+ days) |
| Ranchi | Jharkhand | 16 | 9.6 | 10.3 | 26 | High (15+ days) |
| Bhubaneswar | Odisha | 18 | 8.8 | 10.7 | 19 | High (15+ days) |
| Visakhapatnam | Andhra Pradesh | 10 | 7.4 | 9.7 | 16 | Medium (5 to 14) |
| Bhopal | Madhya Pradesh | 7 | 4.8 | 7.1 | 20 | Medium (5 to 14) |
| Ahmedabad | Gujarat | 5 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 9 | Medium (5 to 14) |
| Kolkata | West Bengal | 5 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 12 | Medium (5 to 14) |
| Mumbai | Maharashtra | 2 | 2.6 | 5.6 | 15 | Low (under 5) |
| Pune | Maharashtra | 2 | 2.6 | 5.6 | 15 | Low (under 5) |
| Hyderabad | Telangana | 1 | 1.6 | 4.9 | 14 | Low (under 5) |
| Chennai | Tamil Nadu | 1 | 3.4 | 4.7 | 11 | Low (under 5) |
| Bengaluru | Karnataka | 1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 4 | Low (under 5) |
| Raipur | Chhattisgarh | 1 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 11 | Low (under 5) |
| Guwahati | Assam | 1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 1 | Low (under 5) |
Which dog breeds are most at risk of heatstroke in India?
Flat-faced breeds, heavy-coated northern breeds and giant dogs carry the most risk. Of the 58 breeds we cover, 13 score 1 out of 5 for tolerating Indian heat and 16 more score 2. Together that is half our list.
The research backs these ratings. A study of 905,543 dogs under UK veterinary care in 2016, using VetCompass records, found 395 heatstroke cases and a fatality rate of 14.18%. Flat-faced dogs had 2.10 times the odds of mesocephalic dogs, and dogs over 50 kg had 3.42 times the odds of dogs under 10 kg.
Native breeds sit at the other end. Seven of the 9 Indian breeds we cover score 5 out of 5, among them the Indian Pariah Dog, Kombai and Mudhol Hound. None of the 29 breeds scoring 2 or less is native.
dogeats.in editorial ratings, October 2026.
Show the numbers
| Label | breeds |
|---|---|
| Score 1 | 13 |
| Score 2 | 16 |
| Score 3 | 12 |
| Score 4 | 9 |
| Score 5 | 8 |
Embed this chart
Hall, Carter and O'Neill, Scientific Reports 2020, multivariable model, 905,543 dogs. Breeds shown are those with significantly higher odds.
Show the numbers
| Label | odds ratio |
|---|---|
| Chow Chow | 16.61x |
| Bulldog | 13.95x |
| French Bulldog | 6.49x |
| Dogue de Bordeaux | 5.31x |
| Greyhound | 4.26x |
| Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | 3.45x |
| Pug | 3.24x |
| English Springer Spaniel | 2.74x |
| Golden Retriever | 2.65x |
| Labrador Retriever (baseline) | 1.00x |
Embed this chart
| Breed | Odds ratio vs Labrador (UK 2016) | Our heat score (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|
| Chow Chow | 16.61 | 1 |
| Bulldog | 13.95 | 1 |
| French Bulldog | 6.49 | 1 |
| Dogue de Bordeaux | 5.31 | Not covered |
| Greyhound | 4.26 | Not covered |
| Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | 3.45 | 3 |
| Pug | 3.24 | 1 |
| English Springer Spaniel | 2.74 | Not covered |
| Golden Retriever | 2.65 | 2 |
| Labrador Retriever (baseline) | 1.00 | 2 |
Every breed with odds above 6 in the UK study, the Chow Chow, Bulldog and French Bulldog, scores 1 on our Indian heat scale. Breed pages: Pug, French Bulldog, Chow Chow and Siberian Husky.
Matching breeds to city heat
We joined the two data sets. The table below sets each heat-score group against the city heat class from IMD's 2024 state figures. It shows what an owner in that city should plan for.
A score-1 breed in a high-class city needs a cooled room through every heatwave day, and in 2024 that meant 15 to 22 days in the season on state averages. A score-5 native dog in the same city needs shade, water and timed walks, which is ordinary summer care.
| Heat score | Breeds in group | High (15+ days): e.g. Delhi, Lucknow, Jaipur | Medium (5 to 14): e.g. Bhopal, Ahmedabad, Kolkata | Low (under 5): e.g. Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | AC or a cooled room all day on heatwave days; walks only at dawn | Cooling through midday from April to June | Humidity is the risk on the coast; cooling still needed |
| 2 | 16 | Cooling through midday; walks before 7 am and after sunset | Shade, fans, cool floors; short walks | Coat care in humid cities; watch for skin trouble |
| 3 | 12 | Shade and water; avoid exercise from 11 am to 5 pm | Normal summer care | Normal summer care |
| 4 to 5 | 17 | Shade, water and timed walks | Normal summer care | Normal summer care |
| Breed | Heat score | Copes without AC | Adult weight (kg) | Hardest place, from our guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaskan Malamute | 1 | 1 | 32 to 43 | The whole northern and central plain, from Delhi and Ahmedabad down to Hyderabad and Chennai |
| Bernese Mountain Dog | 1 | 1 | 32 to 52 | Almost anywhere on the plains, Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Chennai included |
| Bullmastiff | 1 | 1 | 41 to 59 | Chennai, Mumbai and coastal Kerala, heavy heat with high humidity |
| Chow Chow | 1 | 1 | 20 to 32 | Chennai, Mumbai, Kochi, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad, where this coat and muzzle combination is dangerous |
| English Bulldog | 1 | 1 | 18 to 23 | Chennai, Mumbai, Kochi, Hyderabad and essentially all of coastal and plains India |
| English Mastiff | 1 | 1 | 54 to 104 | Chennai, Mumbai and coastal Kerala, heat plus humidity on a heavy, short-muzzled dog |
| French Bulldog | 1 | 1 | 8 to 13 | Chennai, Mumbai, Kochi and Hyderabad, where heat and humidity are dangerous here |
| Pekingese | 1 | 1 | 3 to 6.4 | Chennai, Mumbai, Kochi and Hyderabad, where the heat and humidity are dangerous here |
| Pug | 1 | 1 | 6 to 8 | Chennai, the combination of heat and humidity is dangerous for this airway |
| Saint Bernard | 1 | 1 | 54 to 82 | Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and essentially all of plains India |
| Samoyed | 1 | 1 | 16 to 29 | Chennai, Mumbai, Kochi, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad, where the coat is a year-round burden |
| Siberian Husky | 1 | 1 | 16 to 27 | Chennai, Mumbai, Kochi, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and most of plains India |
| Tibetan Mastiff | 1 | 1 | 32 to 68 | Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and all of plains India |
| American Eskimo Dog | 2 | 2 | 2.7 to 16 | Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata, where heat and humidity combine for much of the year |
| Boxer | 2 | 2 | 22 to 36 | Chennai, Mumbai and Kochi, heat plus humidity on a short-muzzled high-energy dog |
| Dogo Argentino | 2 | 2 | 40 to 45 | Ghaziabad, which stopped licensing new Dogo Argentinos in October 2022 |
| German Shepherd | 2 | 2 | 23 to 41 | Chennai and Kochi, sustained heat with humidity is the worst combination |
| Golden Retriever | 2 | 2 | 25 to 34 | Chennai, the hardest major Indian city for this coat |
| Great Dane | 2 | 2 | 50 to 79 | Chennai, Mumbai and Kochi, where heat and humidity tax a giant body year-round |
| Labrador Retriever | 2 | 2 | 25 to 36 | Chennai, sustained heat with high humidity, the hardest major city |
| Pomeranian | 2 | 2 | 1.4 to 3.2 | Chennai, Mumbai and Kochi, heat and humidity on a full northern coat |
| Rottweiler | 2 | 2 | 36 to 61 | Chennai, Mumbai and coastal Kerala, heat plus humidity on a black double coat |
| Shih Tzu | 2 | 2 | 4 to 7.5 | Chennai and Mumbai, heat plus humidity on a flat face and a long coat |
| Australian Shepherd | 2 | 3 | 18 to 29 | Chennai, Mumbai, Kochi and Hyderabad, where heat shrinks the exercise window too far |
| Border Collie | 2 | 3 | 14 to 25 | Flats and apartments in any Indian city, essentially without exception |
| German Spitz | 2 | 3 | 5 to 11 | Chennai, Mumbai and Kochi in peak summer, where heat and humidity tax the coat |
| Japanese Spitz | 2 | 3 | 5 to 11 | Chennai, Mumbai, Kochi and coastal Kerala in summer and monsoon humidity |
| Pembroke Welsh Corgi | 2 | 3 | 9 to 13.6 | Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata, where humid heat and wet monsoon months strain the double coat |
| Shiba Inu | 2 | 3 | 7 to 11 | Chennai, Mumbai, Kochi and coastal Kerala, where humidity taxes the coat badly |
Protecting a dog during a heatwave
Move walks to before 7 am and after sunset, and keep them short on heatwave days. Test the road with your palm: if you cannot hold it there for 5 seconds, it is too hot for paws.
Exercise is the main trigger, not hot cars. A follow-up study by the same UK team found exertion behind 74.2% of heatstroke events. Stop play the moment a dog pants hard, lags or seeks shade.
Know the warning signs: heavy panting, thick drool, a dark red tongue, wobbling or collapse. Move the dog to shade, wet it with cool, not iced, water and go to a vet at once. Ask your vet about cooling and fluids; do not give human medicines.
- Keep fresh water in two places, and add a bowl outside for street dogs in summer.
- Give flat-faced and heavy-coated breeds a cooled room from April to June in high-class cities.
- Never leave a dog in a parked car or on a terrace in daytime.
- Do not shave double coats; the coat shields skin from sun. Brush out the undercoat instead.
- Watch the IMD district warnings and plan the day around them.
Our full summer heatstroke prevention guide covers hydration, cooling and safe summer foods. For every breed ranked by heat risk, see the dog breeds heat risk ranking, and for city-by-city picks, the best dog breeds by Indian city. The Indian Pariah Dog is the easiest summer companion on our list.
Frequently asked questions
How many heatwave days did India have in 2024?
The Ministry of Earth Sciences told the Rajya Sabha that 554 heatwave days were observed over India in 2024, against 230 in 2023. IMD counted 536 of them in April to June, the highest since 2010.
Which state has the most heatwave days in India?
Over 2010 to 2024, Rajasthan has the highest average, 12.2 heatwave days per April to June season. In 2024 alone, Punjab and Uttarakhand led with 22 days each, followed by Haryana with 21.
What temperature is a heatwave in India?
IMD declares a heatwave in the plains when the maximum temperature is at least 40°C and 4.5°C or more above normal. Coastal and hill stations have lower thresholds.
Which dog breeds cannot handle Indian heat?
We rate 13 breeds 1 out of 5 for heat, including the Pug, French Bulldog, English Bulldog, Chow Chow, Siberian Husky, Saint Bernard and Tibetan Mastiff. These breeds need a cooled room through Indian summers.
Which dog breeds are best for hot Indian cities?
Native breeds. The Indian Pariah Dog, Kombai, Mudhol Hound, Rajapalayam, Chippiparai, Kanni and Rampur Greyhound all score 5 out of 5 on our heat scale. Among foreign breeds, the Rhodesian Ridgeback also scores 5.
Is Delhi safe for a Siberian Husky?
Delhi averaged 18 heatwave days in summer 2024 and stayed above 40°C for 40 straight days. We rate the Husky 1 out of 5 for heat, so it needs air conditioning through the summer. Ask your vet about a safe exercise plan.
Is heatstroke in dogs fatal?
It can be. In a UK study of 905,543 dogs, 14.18% of heat-related illness cases ended in death. Move an overheated dog to shade, wet it with cool water and see a vet at once.
Are Labradors at risk of heatstroke in India?
Yes, moderately. We rate the Labrador 2 out of 5 for Indian heat. In the UK study, Golden Retrievers had 2.65 times the odds of Labradors, so Labradors are the baseline, not a safe breed.
Methodology and limitations
State heatwave days are IMD figures published in MoSPI's EnviStats India 2025, Statement 4.01. They give each state's average number of heatwave days in April to June, 2010 to 2024. We transcribed the table from the PDF and checked it against the text, which names Punjab and Uttarakhand at 22 for 2024.
National totals come from the Ministry of Earth Sciences reply in the Rajya Sabha on 5 December 2024 and from IMD's seasonal briefing of 1 July 2024. City values are their state's figure. The count of states with 10 or more days per year is computed by dogeats.in.
Breed heat scores are dogeats.in editorial ratings from 1 to 5. Heatstroke odds are from Hall, Carter and O'Neill, Scientific Reports 2020, a VetCompass study of UK dogs.
Sources
- MoSPI EnviStats India 2025, Component 4 (IMD data), State heatwave days, April to June, 2010 to 2024
- Down To Earth: Rajya Sabha reply of 5 December 2024, 554 heatwave days in 2024 vs 230 in 2023
- Hall, Carter and O'Neill (2020), Scientific Reports: heatstroke in UK dogs, Breed odds ratios, incidence and fatality
- Also consulted: Scroll (PTI): IMD briefing of 1 July 2024, IMD press release, 29 May 2024, Hall, Carter and O'Neill (2020), Animals: triggers of heatstroke in UK dogs, IMD press releases of 28, 30 and 31 May 2024.
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