Global average temperature rise hides large regional differences, because land warms faster than oceans and some regions respond more strongly to changes in atmospheric circulation. The Eastern Mediterranean is one area that has seen some of the most rapid warming. Its dry climate, with less soil moisture and more heat-absorbing bare land, amplifies temperature increases during heatwaves. Other factors such as shifts in winds and cloud cover also play a role. The result is that people in some places experience the effects of warming far more intensely than the global average would suggest.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.