Guwahati: Extreme weather events are becoming increasingly frequent and severe across India, with at least one part of the country experiencing such events on most days of the year. Between 2022 and 2026, extreme weather was recorded on 86 to 99 per cent of days annually, according to a report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down To Earth (DTE).

The report, titled Climate India 2026: An Assessment of Extreme Weather Events, was released on November 4, 2026. It highlights the growing frequency of weather-related disasters and their consequences for human lives, agriculture and livelihoods.

The proportion of days affected by extreme weather increased from 86–88 per cent in 2022 and 2023 to 93 per cent in 2024, which was the hottest year on record globally and in India. The figure climbed further to 99 per cent in 2025.

During the first nine months of 2026, India experienced extreme weather events on 251 of the 273 days between January 1 and September 30. This means that at least one part of the country was affected on nearly 92 per cent of those days.

The assessment also found that, for five consecutive years, most parts of India experienced extreme weather events on at least 100 days annually.

The report is based on DTE’s India’s Atlas on Weather Disasters, an open-access interactive database launched in 2022 to monitor extreme weather events on a daily basis. It analyses the frequency of such events, along with the resulting losses and damage, during the January-September period from 2022 to 2026.

The assessment draws information from two government sources: the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Disaster Management Division (DMD) of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. Media reports have also been examined to document extreme weather incidents, particularly during the pre-monsoon season, when official data are limited.

It evaluates two major indicators: the number of days on which extreme weather events occurred and the resulting damage. The latter includes human fatalities, affected cropped areas, damaged houses and livestock losses.

The events covered in the report include lightning, thunderstorms, heavy and extremely heavy rainfall, landslides, floods, cold waves, heatwaves, cyclones, snowfall, dust and sandstorms, squalls, hailstorms and gales.

Assam among five states with the highest number of extreme weather days

Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest number of days affected by extreme weather events during the five-year assessment period, with 748 days. Himachal Pradesh followed with 740 days, while Uttar Pradesh recorded 653 days.

Maharashtra ranked fourth with 648 days, followed by Assam, which recorded 526 days. The assessment covered a total of 1,366 days between January and September across the five years.

The growing frequency of extreme weather events has also resulted in a substantial loss of life. According to the report, such events claimed 16,200 lives across India during the five-year period, with nearly 65 per cent of the fatalities occurring between 2024 and 2026.

Annual deaths increased from 2,755 in 2022 to 2,923 in 2023 and 3,238 in 2024. The figure reached a five-year high of 4,064 in 2025. In 2026, the death toll stood at 3,220, around 17 per cent higher than the 2022 figure.

Agriculture has faced a significant share of the damage. At least 20.6 million hectares of cropped land were affected by extreme weather events between 2022 and 2026, with more than 82 per cent of the total damage occurring during the last three years.

The affected area rose from 1.84 million hectares in 2022 to 3.2 million hectares in 2024. It then increased sharply to 9.47 million hectares in 2025. A further 4.25 million hectares were affected in 2026, making it the second-highest annual figure during the assessment period.

Changing seasonal patterns and early heatwaves

The report also points to significant changes in seasonal weather patterns over the past five years, including warmer winters and a decline in cold-wave events.

Winter 2026 recorded the second-lowest number of cold-wave and cold-day events during the assessment period. February 2026 was particularly notable, as no such events were recorded during the month for the first time in the five-year period. The month was also the fourth-warmest February in 125 years.

At the same time, heatwaves are increasingly occurring earlier in the year. Himachal Pradesh experienced a severe heatwave in early March 2026, marking the earliest such occurrence during the five-year assessment period. The event occurred 74 days earlier than the corresponding heatwave in 2024.

Coastal Andhra Pradesh also recorded its earliest heatwave in five years, further indicating a shift in the seasonal timing of extreme heat.

The pre-monsoon season is also emerging as a period of growing agricultural vulnerability. Between March and May 2026, extreme weather affected at least 0.73 million hectares of cropped land. This was the second-highest pre-monsoon agricultural loss recorded in five years, after 2023.

Extreme weather risks rise across all regions

The assessment found an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events across all regions of India, although the extent of the impact varied.

In the central region, the proportion of days affected by extreme weather rose from 73 per cent in 2022 to 78 per cent in 2026. In the east and northeast, the share increased from 63 per cent to 80 per cent over the same period.

The northwest region recorded extreme weather on 71 per cent of days in 2022. The figure climbed to 94 per cent in 2025 before declining to 86 per cent in 2026.

In the southern peninsular region, the proportion increased from 46 per cent in 2022 to a peak of 75 per cent in 2025, before falling to 64 per cent in 2026.

Although the nature and intensity of extreme weather events differ across regions and seasons, the report indicates that no part of the country has been spared from their impact.

The findings highlight the growing nationwide exposure to weather-related disasters and the mounting pressure on public safety, agriculture and livelihoods.