Extreme weather conditions in India causes highest deaths in Three Years...

58% of the total casualties counted last year!


India has recorded the highest deaths due to extreme weather conditions in 2022, mounting up to 2,220 which is the highest in the last three years. This has been reported according to the Annual Statement on Climate of India by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

The death toll in 2020 was 1,338 followed by 1,750 in 2021 as per the earlier statements mentioned by the IMD. Last year the highest number of people died due to lighting strikes and thunderstorms.

A total of 1,285 people died due to this phenomenon which comprised about 58% of the total casualties counted last year. According to the previous statements of IMD casualties reported in 2020 were 737 along with 787 in 2021.

Bihar reported a total of 418 death out of which 415 were due to lighting and thunderstorms. The casualties reported under this category from other states include Odisha (168), Jharkhand (122), Madhya Pradesh (116), Uttar Pradesh (81), Rajasthan (78), Chhattisgarh (71), Maharashtra (64) and Assam (58).

Heavy Rain, landslides and flood are to be blamed for the death of 835 people (37 percent) people last year, in comparison to 414 in 2020 and 759 in 2021.

The year 2022 has also been listed as the fifth warmest year since 1901 and December last year has also been recorded to be the warmest in 122 years when the mean monthly temperature recorded was 21.49 degrees Celsius. The overall rainfall in India was also 108 per cent of the Long Period Average last year as mentioned by the IMD.

The North Indian Ocean basin also saw a total of 15 cyclonic disturbances which included the 3 cyclones- Asani, Sitrang and Mandous- and 12 depressions against a normal of 11.2.

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