India experienced extreme weather events in 251 days out of 273 days between January and September. What’s more concerning is that these incidents resulted in the deaths of 3,320 people, damage to 42.5 lakh hectares of crops, destruction of 128,334 houses and loss of life to 47,244 animals, report said.
Titled "Climate India 2026: An Assessment of Extreme Weather Events", this annual report has been published since 2022 by the Centre for Science and Environment alongside Down To Earth magazine. It delivers a comprehensive season-by-season, month-by-month, and regional analysis of extreme weather events and their resulting loss and damage during the first nine months of 2026.
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UP and HP are the worst hit states
As per the report. Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh were the worst affected by extreme weather events, with both states recording extreme weather events on nearly 64 percent of the days in the first nine months of the year.
The Capital Experienced Extreme Weather Conditions
New Delhi had experienced both heat and rain, giving rise to extreme weather conditions in the city. In May, the city experienced scorching heat, raising the maximum temperatures to 44.6 degrees Celsius. During the month of October, the capital city witnessed heavy to very heavy rainfall, putting a threat to the drainage system. Safdarjung recorded 41.6 mm of rain in the 24 hours ending at 8:30 a.m. on October 12, the highest daily October total in four years. The Ridge received 49 mm of rainfall, while several areas, including Sainik Four and Mahipalpur, witnessed waterlogging.
Rise In Climate Deaths
According to the report's five-year analysis, extreme weather events will cause 16,303 deaths between 2022 and 2026. About 65 per cent of these deaths will occur between 2024 and 2026. UP topped the list of deaths with 811, followed by Maharashtra, which reported 286 deaths, and Bihar with 245.
Extreme Conditions Led To Severe Loss Of Crops
Around 20.6 million hectares of cropland were damaged between 2022 and 2026. In 2022, 1.84 million hectares were affected, while in 2025, this figure increased to 9.47 million hectares.This year, too, 4.25 million hectares of crops had been affected by September. Maharashtra suffered the most damage at 2.83 million hectares, followed by Uttar Pradesh at 6.9 million hectares and Bihar at 2.3 million hectares.
Change of Cycle of Seasons
The Climate Analysis report also highlighted that the winters have particularly become warmer, and cold wave events are diminishing gradually. The month of February in 2026 was the first in years to record no cold waves in the 18 days. According to Sunita Narain, Director General of CSE, “Extreme weather events occur almost daily each year. Instead of focusing solely on post-disaster relief and recovery, governments must focus on risk reduction, strengthening drainage systems, water recharge, and preserving green areas. ”.
The report also mentioned that this years February was recorded as the fourth wettest February in 125 years. While this year's monsoon rainfall was 13 per cent below normal, all 122 days of the monsoon saw heavy rain, flooding, or landslides in some part of the country.