Extreme weather events have claimed more than 3,200 lives in the first nine months of this year, with Kerala recording the highest number of fatalities: CSE Report | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: India experienced extreme weather events on 93% of days in the first nine months in 2024 – 255 out of 274 days – which claimed 3,238 lives, destroyed over 2.35 lakh houses/buildings and damaged crops on 3 .2 million hectares of degraded (mha) land, 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 in the corresponding period last year, the country experienced extreme weather on 235 out of 273 days, killing 2,923 people, affecting crops on 1.84 mha of land and destroying 80,293 houses. damaged.
In its annual ‘State of Extreme Weather Report’, New Delhi-based think tank CSE 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 extreme events in 142 days, accounted for over 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, the CSE analysts pointed out that the reported damage could be an underestimate due to incomplete data collection on event-specific losses, especially in the areas of public property and crop damage.
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.