Alarming extreme weather statistics in India

India has faced more extreme weather events and higher damages in 2024 compared to last year, according to the Climate India 2024 report released recently by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and its fortnightly publication, Down to Earth (DTE).

The report states alarmingly that over 3,000 persons lost their lives, and more than 200,000 houses were destroyed in just 255 of the 274 days of the first nine months of 2024. The state of Madhya Pradesh witnessed the highest number of extreme weather events, and the maximum number of fatalities was in the state of Kerala. Researchers at the CSE and the DTE have been compiling extreme weather events across India for the past three years to make sense of patterns and trends.

In its press release, the CSE highlights that in 2024, India faced extreme weather events on 93 per cent of the days in the year’s first nine months – 255 out of 274 days – marked by heat and cold waves, cyclones, lightning, heavy rain, floods and landslides. These events claimed 3,238 lives, affected 3.2 million hectares of crops, destroyed 235,862 houses and buildings, and killed approximately 9457 livestock. Compared to this, the first nine months of 2023 recorded extreme weather on 235 of 273 days, with 2923 deaths, 1.84 million hectares of crops affected, 80,293 houses damaged, and 92,519 animal deaths.

The DTE data analysts, who have compiled this report, point out in the press release that “it is very likely that even these reported damages are an underestimation due to incomplete data collection on event-specific losses, particularly on public property and crop damages”. Also, this reported damage is likely an underestimate due to incomplete data collection on event-specific losses, particularly public property and crop damage.

The year 2024 also set several climate records. January was India’s ninth driest since 1901. In February, the country recorded its second-highest minimum temperature in 123 years. May saw the fourth-highest mean temperature on record, and July, August and September all registered their highest minimum temperatures since 1901, the report adds. It says that in the Northwest, January was the second driest, and July recorded the region’s second-highest minimum temperature. The Southern Peninsula saw its hottest February ever, followed by exceptionally hot and dry March and April, but with a 36.5% surplus in July rainfall and the second-highest minimum temperature in August.

In terms of event types, the past nine months have seen everything from lightning and storms – spanning 32 states and resulting in 1021 deaths – to relentless monsoon rains, which led to flooding across various regions. In Assam alone, heavy rains, floods and landslides were recorded on 122 days, leaving large parts of the state submerged and communities devastated.

Nationwide, 1376 lives were lost due to floods.

The report says that Madhya Pradesh experienced extreme weather on 176 days – the most in the country.

Kerala recorded the highest fatalities at 550, followed by Madhya Pradesh (353) and Assam (256). Andhra Pradesh had the most houses damaged (85,806), while Maharashtra, which saw extreme events on 142 days, accounted for over 60% of the affected crop area nationwide, followed by Madhya Pradesh (25,170 hectares).

Regionally, Central India faced the highest frequency of extreme events with 218 days, followed closely by the Northwest at 213 days. In terms of lives lost, the Central region had the most deaths (1001), followed by the Southern Peninsula (762 deaths), East and Northeast (741 deaths) and Northwest (734 deaths).

The CSE researchers point out in the press release that the report highlights a critical shift that is needed in our approach to extreme events – from disaster response to risk reduction and resilience-building. Flood management, for example, requires more than plans on paper; it calls for the strategic development of drainage and water recharge systems, along with expanded green spaces and forests to act as natural water reservoirs in preparation for future storms.

The Climate India 2024 report also emphasises the need for climate reparations from high-emission countries responsible for much of the damage. Climate models are clear: extreme weather events are set to become more frequent and severe.