Planet's 50 Hottest Cities Were All in One Country

India just achieved an unwanted climate milestone: One day in late April, the 50 hottest cities on the planet were all in the country, reports CNN. The feat on April 27 "has no modern precedent," declares the air quality platform AQI, which logged the data. The city of Banda in Uttar Pradesh led the way with a high of 115 degrees, but the average peak temperature of the 50 cities was not far behind at 112.5 degrees.

Last month's heat wave in the country "stands among the top if not the top harshest for April, which is usually not the hottest month of the year," climatologist Maximiliano Herrera tells CNN. And no immediate relief is in sight: Forecasts call for both above-normal summer heat and below-average monsoon rains, raising drought fears. Scientists have warned that India's steadily rising temperatures could exceed "survivability" thresholds by 2050.