2024: A year marked by escalating climate change impacts in India

India concludes another year dominated by extreme weather, with climate change fueling an alarming rise in disasters across the nation.

- KARTIKI NEGI

India experiences the full spectrum of climate impacts, including heatwaves, floods, droughts, cyclones, wildfires, and erratic rainfall patterns.

A report from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) revealed that India recorded extreme weather events on 255 of the first 274 days of 2024, underscoring the profound influence of global warming on the country.

WARM WINTERS FOLLOWED BY UNPRECEDENTED HEATWAVES

The year began with warm winters under the influence of El Niño, marking the fourth consecutive year without a spring season. January 2024 witnessed its lowest rainfall since 1901 and the fourth-highest minimum temperature on record. February followed suit, with its second-highest minimum temperature in 123 years, exceeding the normal by 1.63 degrees Celsius.

Heatwaves arrived earlier and with strong intensity, wherein India experienced 536 heatwave days during the summer 2024, the highest since 2010 (578 days) as per the data by IMD. Several government data and media houses reported over 200 fatalities and 25,000 cases of heatstroke due to intense heatwaves. The impact was also seen on the Lok Sabha elections which were underway during the summer season. Official data by Election Commission of India recorded deaths of 33 polling officers due to inadequate cooling facilities.

Experts have claimed this to be a conservative number as this did not include the extended health impact of prolonged heatwave conditions.

Nighttime temperatures also soared to record levels, with July, August and September registering the highest minimum temperatures since 1901. Research studies by Climate Trends and Climate Central indicate that between 2018 and 2023, many Indian cities across Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and Andhra Pradesh experienced an additional 50–80 nights annually where temperatures exceeded 25 degrees Celsius due to climate change.