Extreme weather events caused by climate change are adversely affecting human life. The situation is such that in the first nine months of the current year, 93 percent i.e. 255 out of 274 days faced heat and cold winds, cyclones, lightning, heavy rains, floods and landslides.
Due to these incidents, 3,238 people lost their lives, 32 lakh hectares of crops were affected. 2,35,862 houses and buildings were destroyed, while about 9,457 animals were killed. This horrific picture has emerged in the report released on Friday by Sunita Narayan, Director General of Center for Science and Environment (CSE).
It was the ninth driest month in India.
‘According to the State of Extreme Weather report, extreme weather events have had a more severe impact in 2024 than in 2022 and 2023. 2024 also set several climate records. January was India’s ninth driest month since 1901. In February, the country recorded its second highest minimum temperature in 123 years. May recorded the fourth highest average temperature, and July, August and September all recorded their highest minimum temperatures since 1901.
Sunita Narayan said, ‘Events which earlier used to happen once in a century, are now happening every five years or less. It said that in the last nine months, 32 states have witnessed all kinds of incidents ranging from lightning and storms and this resulted in incessant monsoon rains, which led to floods in various areas, resulting in the death of 1,021 people.
Assam experiences heavy rainfall, floods and landslides in 122 days
Assam alone experienced 122 days of heavy rainfall, floods and landslides, inundating large parts of the state and devastating communities. 1,376 people lost their lives due to floods across the country. Madhya Pradesh experienced extreme weather every second day, the highest in the country. Kerala recorded the highest number of deaths at 550, followed by Madhya Pradesh (353) and Assam (256).
The central region reported the highest number of deaths at 1,001.
The highest number of houses were destroyed in Andhra Pradesh (85,806), while Maharashtra, which saw extreme weather events for 142 days, saw more than 60 per cent of the affected crop area damaged across the country, followed by Madhya Pradesh (25,170 hectares). . The central region reported the highest number of deaths at 1,001.