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📌 The Question:
The World Bank warned that India could become one of the first places where wet-bulb temperatures routinely exceed 35°C.

Which of the following statements best reflect(s) the implication of the above-said report?

I. Peninsular India will most likely suffer from flooding, tropical cyclones and droughts.
II. The survival of animals including humans will be affected as shedding of their body heat through perspiration becomes difficult.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) I only
(b) II only
(c) Both I and II
(d) Neither I nor II

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✅ Correct Answer: (c) Both I and II

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🔍 Classroom Explanation:

• Statement II is correct ✅
  Wet-bulb temperature combines heat + humidity.
  At 35°C wet-bulb, the human body cannot cool itself through sweating, even in shade with unlimited water.
  This represents a biological survivability limit for humans and many animals. Prolonged exposure can be fatal.
• Statement I is also correct ✅
  The World Bank report links rising wet-bulb temperatures to intensification of the hydrological cycle, leading to:
  • Extreme rainfall → flooding
  • Warmer oceans → stronger tropical cyclones
  • Altered monsoon patterns → droughts
  Peninsular India, surrounded by warming seas, is especially vulnerable.

👉 Hence, both statements correctly reflect the implications.

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🧠 Curiosity Raiser:
Why can humans survive 50°C in deserts but not 35°C wet-bulb?
Because evaporation, not temperature alone, keeps us alive.

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📚 Enrich Notes (Prelims Edge):

• Wet-bulb temperature ≠ normal temperature
• 35°C wet-bulb = absolute physiological limit
• India, Pakistan, Gulf countries are global hotspots
• Critical for climate migration, labour laws, urban planning

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🕊️ IAS Monk Whisper:
“Climate change is no longer about polar bears alone — it is about human breath itself.”