India experienced extreme weather on 92% of days in the first nine months of 2026, according to Climate India 2026, a report released on 4 November by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down To Earth. The events killed 3,220 people, damaged 4.25 million hectares of crops, destroyed 128,334 houses and killed 47,244 livestock.
The report’s five-year analysis found that the share of affected days rose from 86-88% in 2022 and 2023 to 93% in 2024 and 99% in 2025. Between 2022 and 2026, extreme weather claimed more than 16,000 lives and damaged at least 20.6 million hectares of crops, with more than 82% of the agricultural damage between 2024 and 2026.
Maharashtra reported the largest cropped area affected, at 2.83 million hectares, followed by Uttar Pradesh at 0.69 million and Bihar at 0.23 million. Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh saw extreme weather on nearly 64% of the 273 days from January to September, the highest among states, and Uttar Pradesh recorded the most deaths at 811.
Seasons are also shifting. February 2026 was India’s driest since 1901 and its fourth warmest in 125 years. The southwest monsoon brought 13% less rain than the long-period average, yet heavy rain, floods or landslides occurred somewhere in the country on all 122 days of the season.
“This is the human face of climate change,” said CSE director general Sunita Narain. Down To Earth managing editor Richard Mahapatra said the findings show the need to move from disaster response to risk reduction, including better drainage, water recharge and restored forests and green spaces.
Source: Down To Earth
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