Extreme weather claimed 3,200 lives in India in 2024: CSE
CSE has called the findings a necessary warning, urging action to address the effects of climate change (Photo: Cseindia )
A report by the Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) reveals that over 3,200 lives were lost and more than 230,000 houses destroyed in India during the first nine months of 2024 due to extreme weather events. The findings highlight the growing frequency and severity of floods, storms, heatwaves, and other climate-related disasters.
These events caused widespread devastation, including the loss of thousands of lives, destruction of homes, and displacement of communities (Photo: Cseindia )
India experienced extreme weather events on 93 pc of the days during the first nine months of 2024, underscoring the intensifying impact of climate change. The period was marked by a range of natural calamities, including heatwaves, cold waves, cyclones, lightning, heavy rains, floods and landslides, affecting almost every region of the country. These events caused widespread devastation, including the loss of thousands of lives, destruction of homes, and displacement of communities.
In the first nine months, extreme weather events occurred on 255 out of 274 days, affecting nearly every state. The events ranging from heat and cold waves to cyclones, lightning, heavy rainfall, floods, and landslides resulted in 3,238 fatalities, damaged 235,862 houses and buildings, affected 3.2 million hectares of crops, and killed approximately 9,457 livestock, says CSE.
The report compared this year’s figures to the same period in 2023, when extreme weather events were recorded on 235 days. In 2023, the events led to 2,923 deaths, impacted 1.84 million hectares of crops, damaged 80,293 houses, and led to 92,519 livestock deaths.
The widespread destruction of farmland underlines the growing vulnerability of India’s agricultural sector to climate-induced disasters, including floods, droughts, and unseasonal rains. The losses not only threaten food security but also deepen the economic struggles of farmers, many of whom are already burdened by debt.
The report says that 2024 shattered multiple climate records, highlighting the escalating effects of global warming. January ranked as India’s ninth driest month since records began in 1901, signalling an alarming precipitation deficit. February followed with an unprecedented milestone, recording the second-highest average minimum temperature in 123 years, reflecting an unusual warming trend during the winter season. The heat intensified in May, which saw the fourth-highest mean temperature ever recorded, further stressing communities and ecosystems.
The trend continued into the monsoon months, as July, August, and September each marked their highest minimum temperatures since 1901.
CSE says that in the Northwest, January was marked as the second driest on record, while July witnessed the region’s second-highest minimum temperature, intensifying the impact of extreme weather.
Across the nation, floods claimed 1,376 lives, says the report (Photo: Cseindia )
In Assam, heavy rains, floods, and landslides occurred on 122 days, submerging vast areas and devastating communities. Across the nation, floods claimed 1,376 lives, says the report.
The report highlights that Madhya Pradesh endured extreme weather for 176 days, the highest in the country. Kerala recorded the most fatalities, with 550 lives lost, followed by Madhya Pradesh (353) and Assam (256). Andhra Pradesh saw the greatest number of houses damaged, with 85,806 homes affected. Maharashtra, which experienced extreme weather for 142 days, accounted for more than 60 pc of the total crop area impacted nationwide, while Madhya Pradesh saw 25,170 hectares of farmland damaged.
Regionally, Central India experienced the highest frequency of extreme weather events, with 218 days of disruption, closely followed by the Northwest, which saw extreme events on 213 days. In terms of fatalities, the Central region suffered the most, with 1,001 deaths, followed by the Southern Peninsula (762 deaths), East and Northeast (741 deaths), and the Northwest (734 deaths).
According to report the Southern Peninsula experienced its hottest February ever, followed by unusually hot and dry conditions in March and April. However, the region saw a 36.5 pc surplus in rainfall during July, providing some relief. Despite this, August recorded the second-highest minimum temperature in history, emphasising the erratic and extreme weather patterns that have become more frequent across the country. These variations reflect the broader trend of unpredictable and intensifying climate shifts across India.
The report emphasised the need for climate reparations from high-emission countries, whose activities are responsible for much of the damage. Climate models project that extreme weather events will only become more frequent and severe a trend no longer hypothetical but visible in the escalating crises today.
CSE has called the findings a necessary warning, urging action to address the effects of climate change.
