New Delhi: Extreme weather events during the June to September monsoon season claimed at least 1,528 lives across India, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported on Tuesday, citing media sources.
Of the total fatalities, 935 were attributed to floods and heavy rainfall, 570 to lightning and thunderstorms, and 22 to heat waves. The states worst affected included Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir.
Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest toll, with 290 deaths—153 from floods and heavy rains and 135 from lightning. Himachal Pradesh reported 141 fatalities, nearly all linked to flash floods and landslides caused by torrential rains, while Jammu and Kashmir followed with 139 rain-related deaths.
Maharashtra saw 135 deaths primarily due to flooding, Bihar 62 deaths from lightning strikes, and Uttar Pradesh 201 fatalities, including 112 from lightning and 69 from heavy rains. Jharkhand reported 129 deaths, mostly from lightning, Gujarat 31, Odisha 36, and Delhi three. The data revealed stark regional variations in weather impacts. Himalayan states experienced the brunt of floods and landslides, while the Indo-Gangetic plains—including Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh—were particularly affected by lightning strikes. Rainfall data for the season showed India received 937.2 mm of rain, an 8 per cent surplus over the normal 868.6 mm. Central India recorded 1,125.3 mm, 15.1 per cent above normal, while the southern peninsula saw a 9.9 per cent surplus. Northwest India experienced 747.9 mm, 27.3 per cent above normal, the highest since 2001, with widespread above-normal rain in June, August, and September. Punjab faced its worst flooding in decades, while Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu and Kashmir reported cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides, causing infrastructure damage and displacement.
In contrast, east and northeast India recorded 1,089.9 mm of rainfall, 20 per cent below the normal 1,367.3 mm. Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Meghalaya experienced deficient rainfall in three of the four monsoon months, with the region seeing its second-lowest rainfall since 1901. The IMD noted a declining rainfall trend in these areas over the last two decades.
The IMD attributed the nationwide surplus to active monsoon conditions combined with frequent western disturbances, which enhanced rainfall in central and northern regions. Monthly rainfall analysis indicated above-normal precipitation of 8.9 per cent in June, 4.8 per cent in July, 5.2 per cent in August, and 15.3 per cent in September.