Climate India 2026: Extreme Weather Report
Why in News?
- The Centre for Science and Environment and Down To Earth released "Climate India 2026: An Assessment of Extreme Weather Events" on 4 November 2026.
- India faced extreme weather on 92 per cent of days from January to September 2026, or 251 of 273 days, Down To Earth reported.
- The nine months saw over 3,200 deaths, 4.25 million hectares of crops damaged and 128,334 houses destroyed.
- Over five years, 2022 to 2026, extreme weather killed more than 16,000 people and damaged at least 20.6 million hectares of crops.
Key Terminologies
- Climate India 2026
- An annual assessment of extreme weather events by the Centre for Science and Environment and Down To Earth. It covers January to September of each year from 2022 to 2026.
- Extreme Weather Day
- A day on which at least one extreme event, such as heavy rain, a heatwave, a cold wave, lightning, a cyclone or a hailstorm, is recorded somewhere in the country. The report measures the share of such days.
- India's Atlas on Weather Disasters
- An open database kept by Down To Earth that tracks extreme weather events daily. The report uses it.
- Cropped Area Affected
- The area under standing crops damaged by an event. The report counts it in million hectares.
- Heatwave
- A period of abnormally high temperature. The report notes a severe heatwave in Himachal Pradesh in early March 2026.
Key Issues
- Daily Exposure: Extreme weather occurred on 92 per cent of days from January to September 2026. The share was 86 to 88 per cent in 2022 and 2023, 93 per cent in 2024 and 99 per cent in 2025, Down To Earth reported. Almost every day now has an extreme event somewhere.
- Rising Deaths: Deaths were 2,755 in 2022, 2,923 in 2023, 3,238 in 2024, 4,064 in 2025, the five-year high, and about 3,300 in 2026 so far, with nearly 65 per cent of the five-year total of 16,303 in 2024 to 2026. Two reports give 3,220 and 3,320 for 2026, so the exact figure should be checked.
- Crop Losses: Cropped area affected was 1.84 million hectares in 2022, 3.2 million in 2024, 9.47 million in 2025 and 4.25 million in 2026, with over 82 per cent of the five-year total of at least 20.6 million hectares in the last three years. Farm incomes are most exposed.
- State Hotspots: Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh had extreme weather on nearly 64 per cent of the 273 days. Uttar Pradesh had the most deaths at 811, followed by Maharashtra at 286 and Bihar at 245, and Maharashtra had the largest affected cropped area at 2.83 million hectares.
- Changing Seasons: Winters are warmer with fewer cold waves, and February 2026 had none. A severe heatwave hit Himachal Pradesh in early March 2026, 74 days earlier than a comparable 2024 event.
Key Implications
Positive/Pros/Merits
- Open Data: The report uses an open daily database, which lets researchers and officials check and reuse the figures.
- Wide Hazard Coverage: It covers lightning, heavy rain, landslides and floods, cold waves, heatwaves, cyclones, snowfall, dust storms, squalls, hailstorms and gales, giving a fuller picture than single-hazard counts.
- Multiple Sources: Data come from the India Meteorological Department, the Disaster Management Division of the Union Home Ministry and media reports, which widens coverage.
- Regional View: The report shows northwest India with extreme weather on 235 days and east and northeast India on 218, which supports targeted preparation.
Negative/Cons/Demerits
- Media Reliance: Media reports are used mainly for the pre-monsoon season when official data are limited, so some figures may be incomplete.
- Definition Limits: A day counts if an event is recorded anywhere in the country, so the 92 per cent figure does not mean that every region faced extremes every day.
- Data Mismatch: Two reports from the same release give 3,220 and 3,320 deaths for 2026, and the methodology is not fully described.
- Missing Detail: The reports give no 2023 crop figure and no recommendations, so some trends and responses are unclear.
Key Initiatives
- Centre for Science and Environment and Down To Earth: They published Climate India 2026, using India's Atlas on Weather Disasters, which tracks events daily.
- India Meteorological Department: Its data are one of the report's main sources for extreme events.
- Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Disaster Management Division: Its figures on losses are another main source.
- Cyclone Response, October-November 2026: Cyclone Arnab landed on 28 October and Murasu on 3 November, and Andhra Pradesh moved 10,805 people to shelters, Down To Earth and The Tribune reported.
The report says no part of the country has been untouched and points to rising risks to lives, livelihoods and agriculture. It gives no specific recommendations in the Down To Earth summaries. Official data come from the India Meteorological Department and the Home Ministry.
Director's Perspective
Way Forward
- Set up a national extreme weather database with daily, district-level records of losses.
- Fund crop insurance and compensation faster in high-loss states such as Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
- Expand early warning systems for heatwaves and floods, including for hill states such as Himachal Pradesh.
- Use the 86-99 per cent trend to review building, farming and health plans for warmer winters and earlier heat.
- Publish a single agreed set of death and damage figures each year.
The report is a strong signal on the scale of weather risk, but its numbers should be read with care. Extreme weather on 92 per cent of days, over 16,000 deaths in five years and a 2025 crop loss of 9.47 million hectares show a steep rise in exposure. However, a day counts if an event occurs anywhere, and two figures for 2026 deaths differ. In a Mains answer, credit the open data and long series, then conclude that India needs official, consistent loss data and stronger adaptation in the most affected states.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Climate India 2026?
Climate India 2026: An Assessment of Extreme Weather Events is a report by the Centre for Science and Environment and Down To Earth, released on 4 November 2026. It found extreme weather on 92 per cent of days from January to September 2026, or 251 of 273 days.
How many people died in extreme weather in India over five years?
Extreme weather killed more than 16,000 people between 2022 and 2026, with a five-year total of 16,303 and nearly 65 per cent of deaths in 2024 to 2026, according to Climate India 2026 as reported by Down To Earth. The highest year was 2025, with 4,064 deaths.
Which states were worst affected in 2026?
Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh had extreme weather on nearly 64 per cent of the 273 days from January to September 2026, Down To Earth reported. Uttar Pradesh had the most deaths at 811, and Maharashtra had the largest affected cropped area at 2.83 million hectares.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Climate India 2026 found extreme weather on 92 per cent of days from January to September 2026.
That is 251 of 273 days.
2 The report says the highest crop loss in five years was in 2022.
The highest affected cropped area was 9.47 million hectares in 2025.
3 Climate India 2026 is published by the Centre for Science and Environment and Down To Earth.
It uses an open daily database called India's Atlas on Weather Disasters.