HYDERABAD: The worst heat wave in living memory sweeping across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh is an “extreme climate event” and if steps are not taken to reduce human-induced warming, summer temperatures could soon rise to 50 degree Celsius in many areas, top climate change experts warned.Climate change and weather experts say the largely arid region has witnessed 1.5-2 degrees rise in temperature in recent years as against 0.85 global average, a phenomenon they say is extremely alarming.More than 950 people have died in both states due to the blistering heat, ringing alarm bells among environmentalists and the government.“There is now sufficient evidence to suggest that the increase in temperatures is linked to climate change and we will see more such extreme weather patterns in the near future,” Nitin Desai, a key member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Climate Panel, told TOI.Explaining the reasons behind the unprecedented heat wave in AP and Telangana, experts said other than the water table depleting rapidly, all moisture-laden winds forming over Bay of Bengal last year moved towards Bihar and Nepal, instead of the usual north-westerly-central India direction, due to warmer sea conditions. Scientists say they have observed a similar trend this year too, and if it continues, both states will get deficient rainfall and the region will see a more severe summer next year.“The fact that the region is arid and gets deficient rainfall is one big factor behind the rise in temperatures. Depleting green cover and vanishing water bodies are other major reasons for the current heat wave. It’s a big warning for both governments to check emissions and also stop concretisation before it’s too late,” said Sanjay Vashist, director of Climate Action Network (South Asia).He said both governments must come up with a climate policy, wherein efforts must be made to stop indiscriminate digging of borewells and also change labour laws. About 40 per cent of those killed this summer are NREGA workers, who are forced to work in the hot sun. “It’s time to take a relook at the labour policy in summer and also build summer shelters, or more people will die,” Vashist added.A study in Nature Climate Change said increasing heat has limited India’s labour capacity with fainting, disorientation, and seizures becoming common among workers. The reason, experts say, is the probablity of extreme heat doubling with 1 degree rise in temperature and in an arid region like Telangana, a person feels a four-fold increase in heat.Both AP and Telangana have been witnessing unusual weather patterns of late, with cyclone Hudhud destroying the port city of Visakhapatnam in 2014, while unseasonsal rain devastating crops in April this year in Telangana.“The March-April rainfall was 108 times more than normal. Every year, the temperature is increasing by 0.45 degree here and very soon you will see a maximum temperature of 50 degrees in summer,” said R V Subba Rao, an expert in analysing weather charts in Hyderabad.“Vegetation has to be increased along with water bodies in Hyderabad immediately. But sadly, it is going in the opposite direction. The concrete glass-façade buildings are emanating more heat,” Rao added.“It is a clear signal. The region and rest of India will see a net rise in temperatures if efforts are not made to cut down on greenhouse gases and fossil fuels,” said Suruchi Bhadwal, associate director at the Earth Science and Climate Change division, TERI.India is among over 190 countries trying to finalise by 2015-end a new global agreement that will curb emissions of earth-warming greenhouse gases to avert a 2 degrees Celsius rise in the average global temperature by 2100.