CSE: Extreme weather on 255/274 days this year | India News – Times of India

New Delhi: In 2024, India experienced extreme weather events on 93% of days in the first nine months – 255 out of 274 days – that claimed 3,238 lives, destroyed more than 2.35 lakh houses/buildings and damaged crops on 3, 2 million hectares (mha) of land degradation, the Center for Science and Environment (CSE) said on Friday.
The number of extreme weather events, including heat and cold waves, cyclones, lightning, heavy rains, floods and landslides, increased in 2024 compared to the first nine months of 2023. The CSE data shows that the country recorded 235 extreme weather events out of 273 months. days during the corresponding period last year, killing 2,923 people, damaging crops on 1.84 million hectares of land and damaging 80,293 houses.
In its annual ‘State of Extreme Weather Report’, the New Delhi-based think tank noted that Madhya Pradesh experienced extreme weather events on 176 days – the most in the country – while Kerala recorded the most fatalities at 550, followed by Madhya pradesh. 353) and Assam (256) this year.
The report shows that Andhra Pradesh had the most houses damaged (85,806), while Maharashtra, which saw 142 days of extreme events, accounted for more than 60% of the affected agricultural area across the country, followed by Madhya Pradesh in 2024 .
“This trend is no longer hypothetical – it is visible in the escalating crisis we face today. This report is not good news, but it is a necessary warning, a call to recognize the impact of nature and the urgent action needed to mitigate it. Without tackling climate change on a meaningful scale, today’s challenges will only worsen tomorrow,” said Sunita Narain, Director General of CSE.
Regional data shows that central India experienced the highest frequency of extreme events at 218 days, closely followed by the northwest at 213 days. In terms of lives lost, the central region had the most deaths (1,001), followed by the southern peninsula (762 deaths), east and northeast (741 deaths) and northwest (734 deaths).
However, CSE analysts pointed out that the reported damage could be an underestimate due to incomplete data collection on event-specific losses, especially damage to public property and crops.
Citing other climate data from 2024, the CSE noted that January was India’s ninth driest since 1901, while the country recorded the second highest minimum temperature in 123 years in February. In contrast, May saw the fourth highest average temperature on record, while July, August and September all recorded the highest minimum temperatures since 1901.