Bihar reported the highest casualties from lightning and thunderstorms, while Kerala recorded the maximum deaths from floods and heavy rains. Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra also reported numerous fatalities due to extreme weather
GUWAHATI: India experienced over 3,200 fatalities due to extreme weather events in 2024, a year marked as the hottest on record since nationwide data collection began in 1901.
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This was revealed by the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) Annual Climate Summary for 2024, which was released on Wednesday, January 15. The summary highlighted the impact of climate change and regional temperature variations across the country.
Lightning and thunderstorms were the leading causes of weather-related deaths, claiming 1,374 lives, followed by floods and heavy rains, which caused 1,287 fatalities. Heatwaves additionally contributed to 459 deaths.
Bihar reported the highest casualties from lightning and thunderstorms, while Kerala recorded the maximum deaths from floods and heavy rains. Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra also reported numerous fatalities due to extreme weather.
The IMD further revealed that the mean annual temperature in 2024 was 0.65°C above the long-term average, with certain regions experiencing even higher increases. States such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Kerala, and parts of Karnataka recorded temperature rises exceeding 1°C above normal.
Meanwhile, all four seasons in 2024 saw above-normal temperatures. Winter (January-February) was warmer by 0.37°C, the pre-monsoon season (March-May) by 0.56°C, the monsoon season (June-September) by 0.71°C, and the post-monsoon season (October-December) by 0.83°C; the warmest October-December period since records began.
The report also documented record-breaking temperatures in several cities. Churu recorded the hottest day at 50.5°C, followed by Ganganagar (49.4°C), Varanasi (47.8°C), Gaya (47.4°C), and Sultanpur (47°C). Extreme rainfall events were also noted, with Porbandar (Gujarat) recording its highest single-day rainfall of 485.8 mm on July 19, followed by Puducherry (483.7 mm) on December 1 and Dwarka (418.6 mm) on July 20.
Recent IMD data has shown a warming trend of 0.68°C per century in India’s annual mean temperature, with daytime temperatures increasing by 0.89°C and nighttime temperatures by 0.46°C.