Why Sainikpuri and JNTU record 34°C while Dilsukhnagar and Tolichowki soar to 38°C

Hyderabad: If your neighbourhood feels hotter than the rest of the city, you aren’t imagining it. Real-time weather data shows Hyderabad is currently split by a temperature divide.

Hyderabad has ‘heat islands’

As of March 15, at around 2 pm, while some suburbs like Sainikpuri, Kharkhana, JNTU are sitting comfortably at 34°C, some dense concrete corridors like Dilsukhnagar, Tolichowki, Narayanaguda are already hitting nearly 37°C to 38°C.

These areas even experienced higher temperatures close to 39.5 degrees in recent times.

Experts warn that this isn’t just an early summer spike; it is a clear sign that the city’s concrete sprawl is trapping heat in specific neighbourhoods, creating ‘heat islands’ for those living there.

Why do some neighbourhoods feel hotter than others?

The difference of nearly 3–5 degrees between neighbourhoods is a clear indicator of localised climate zones, according to experts. According to KJ Ramesh, Former Director of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi, the primary culprit is the city’s evolving land-use pattern.

“The temperature disparity we see across the city is a localised phenomenon, not a large-scale weather event,” Ramesh explained. “When soil and natural vegetation are replaced with concrete paving and multi-storey buildings, the ground loses its ability to absorb and release heat naturally,” he further added.

Ramesh said this process, often described as ‘concrete capping’, turns urban surfaces into heat traps. “By removing water bodies and green cover while increasing concrete surfaces, we are effectively creating heat pockets within the city,” Ramesh said.

He added that solutions such as reflective coatings on terraces and better shading for buildings could help reduce the heat impact.

The ‘concrete trap’ effect inside the city

Urban design is also contributing to the problem, said independent weather analyst Rajinikanth Pulla. According to him, many buildings are being designed using Western architectural styles that are not suitable for tropical climates.

“We are seeing a copy-paste of Western designs, especially glass facades that trap heat in regions where the ambient temperature is already high,” Rajinikanth said. “In dense commercial hubs where offices and homes are packed closely together, buildings create what we call a ‘canyon effect’.”

These structures reflect heat rather than absorbing it, he added. “When this is combined with heat released from thousands of air-conditioning units, the surrounding temperature rises and creates localised hot zones.”

Rajinikanth also pointed out that the removal of trees and water bodies is worsening the problem. “When we replace greenery with concrete and glass, the surrounding temperature naturally increases. It may not be a large-scale weather phenomenon, but it certainly creates localised heat spikes.”

How trees and water bodies naturally cool cities

According to Mahesh Palawat, Vice President at Skymet Weather, natural features like vegetation and water bodies play a crucial role in regulating temperatures within cities.

“Areas with thick vegetation or proximity to water bodies can remain two to three degrees cooler,” Palawat explained. “On the other hand, open and arid spaces without tree cover tend to heat up much faster because there is no shade or moisture to cool the air.”