Climate India 2026 Report: Extreme Weather on Almost Every Day for Five Years
A new report, Climate India 2026: An Assessment of Extreme Weather Events, by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down To Earth, studied extreme weather in India from January to September of each year from 2022 to 2026.
India saw extreme weather on 86% to 99% of days each year. The share rose from 86–88% (2022–2023) to 93% (2024) and peaked at 99% in 2025. In 2026, extreme weather struck on 251 of 273 days (about 92%).
Over the five years, extreme weather killed 16,303 people, and nearly 65% of these deaths came in 2024–2026. Deaths peaked at 4,064 in 2025. At least 20.6 million hectares of crops were affected, with the worst year again 2025 (9.47 million hectares).
The states with the most extreme weather days were Madhya Pradesh (748), Himachal Pradesh (740), Uttar Pradesh (653), Maharashtra (648) and Assam (526), out of 1,366 days studied.
Seasons are shifting. Winters are warmer: February 2026 had no cold wave and was the fourth-warmest February in 125 years. Heatwaves are arriving earlier: Himachal Pradesh had a severe heatwave in early March 2026, 74 days earlier than in 2024.
The data covers thunderstorms, lightning, heavy rain, floods, landslides, cold waves, heatwaves, cyclones, snowfall, dust storms, hailstorms and gales, using India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, Union Home Ministry disaster data and media reports.
Extreme Weather Events and Climate Change
An extreme weather event is weather that is much more severe than what is normal for a place and season: a very hot heatwave, very heavy rain, a strong cyclone, a long drought or a sudden flood. Such events have always happened. What has changed is that, as the Earth warms because of human activity, many of them are now happening more often, more strongly and at unusual times. Understanding this link helps a country plan for disasters instead of only reacting to them.
The Climate India 2026 report shows the pattern this concept predicts: extreme weather on 86–99% of days, rising deaths, warmer winters with fewer cold waves, and heatwaves arriving weeks earlier. The record 2025 losses and the 251 extreme-weather days in the first nine months of 2026 show why India needs to plan for extremes as the new normal, not as rare shocks.
Heatwave in India: IMD Criteria and Heat Action Plans
A heatwave is a spell of unusually high air temperature, much hotter than normal for that place and time of year, lasting some days. It is dangerous because the body cannot cool itself when the air is too hot or too humid. IMD declares heatwaves using fixed rules, and states and cities respond with Heat Action Plans.
The report found heatwaves arriving much earlier: Himachal Pradesh had a severe one in early March 2026, 74 days earlier than in 2024, and coastal Andhra Pradesh had its earliest in five years. An earlier hot season means Heat Action Plans must start earlier too.
Climate-Resilient Agriculture in India
Climate-resilient agriculture means farming in a way that can survive and recover from heatwaves, droughts, floods and erratic rain. It uses better seeds, smarter water use, crop planning and weather advice. India runs several programmes for it because most of its farmers depend on the monsoon.
The report counts at least 20.6 million hectares of crops hit by extreme weather in five years, with 9.47 million hectares in 2025 alone. Losses on this scale are the reason heat-tolerant seeds, contingency plans and quick insurance payouts have become central to farm policy.
- Report: Climate India 2026: An Assessment of Extreme Weather Events (CSE and Down To Earth); period studied: January–September, 2022–2026
- Share of days with extreme weather: 86–88% (2022–23), 93% (2024), 99% (2025), about 92% (2026, 251 of 273 days)
- Total deaths: 16,303; yearly: 2,755 (2022), 2,923 (2023), 3,238 (2024), 4,064 (2025, highest), 3,320 (2026)
- Crop area affected: at least 20.6 million hectares; peak 9.47 million ha in 2025; 4.25 million ha in 2026
- Most extreme-weather days (of 1,366): Madhya Pradesh 748, Himachal Pradesh 740, Uttar Pradesh 653, Maharashtra 648, Assam 526
- February 2026: no cold wave; fourth-warmest February in 125 years
- East and northeast India: share of affected days rose from 63% (2022) to 80% (2026); central India from 73% to 78%