The impact has been devastating, with 3,238 lives lost, 3.2 million hectares of crops affected, 235,862 homes destroyed, and nearly 9,500 livestock deaths. This escalation underscores the growing urgency of addressing climate resilience.

Comparatively, the first nine months of 2023 saw slightly fewer incidents, with 235 days of extreme weather, leading to 2,923 deaths and significant crop and infrastructure damage. However, data analysts at Down To Earth caution that even these figures likely underestimate the real toll due to incomplete reporting, particularly concerning public infrastructure and agricultural losses.

2024: A Year of Record-Breaking Climate Extremes

The year 2024 has also broken several climate records across India. January recorded its ninth driest month since 1901, while February saw the second-highest minimum temperature in over a century. July through September marked historic highs in minimum temperatures across multiple regions.

In the Northwest, January was notably dry, while July saw the second-highest minimum temperature recorded. In contrast, the Southern Peninsula experienced a scorching February, followed by a dry March and April, and concluded with an unexpected 36.5 percent increase in July rainfall and another record high in minimum temperature in August.

“These record-breaking statistics reflect climate change’s deepening impact. Events that once occurred once a century are now happening every five years or even less,” said Sunita Narain, CSE director general and Down To Earth editor. She emphasized that this relentless cycle is overwhelming vulnerable communities that lack the resources to recover from repeated losses.

A Diverse Range of Extreme Events

India’s extreme weather events ranged from lightning strikes to relentless monsoon rains and widespread floods. In 2024, lightning and storms affected 32 states, resulting in 1,021 deaths. Torrential monsoon rains brought widespread flooding, with Assam recording 122 days of intense rain, floods, and landslides, leaving much of the state submerged and impacting livelihoods. Nationally, floods claimed the lives of 1,376 people, underscoring the widespread destruction.

Heatwaves, which claimed 210 lives, also took a heavy toll on North India’s workforce, particularly farmers and laborers. “The data doesn’t capture the prolonged health impacts of high temperatures on these individuals, who endure harsh conditions with limited relief options,” noted Rajit Sengupta, associate editor of Down To Earth