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India Today
27-05-2025
- Climate
- India Today
Shift in rain patterns, weather big concern as climate change hits India
India is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to projected climate change impacts, with heat stress emerging as the single largest concern. The prospect of extreme heat and heat stress arises from the widespread, rapid changes in ocean temperatures combined with steadily rising atmospheric heat India Heat Summit 2025 is deliberating on the issue of rising temperatures and shared solutions. The summit will also advise the government on long-term measures to deal with its deliberation is also focusing on issues related to unseasonal rainfall and the very frequent heavy rainfall occurring in the western parts of India, including the record-breaking rains in Mumbai on Monday—breaching a hundred-year record. Environmentalists are concerned about such frequent incidents of high-intensity rain occurring in a short Swaminathan, environmentalist and Chairperson of MSSRF, told India Today that Urban flooding is rising due to multiple factors—partly climate change, and partly poor planning. While total rainfall hasn't changed much over the decade, it's now falling in fewer hours, making it harder for cities to cope. "Yes, climate change has intensified rainfall — but it's also a planning failure. We need to rethink urban design. We can't keep building the same way in Delhi, the Himalayas, and coastal areas. That approach must change," she Chitale, environmentalist at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water, points out that erratic rainfall and early monsoons aren't entirely new phenomena—they've been observed over many years. However, what has changed is the intensity and concentration of rainfall in short show that regions like Rajasthan, Gujarat, central Maharashtra, and Karnataka have seen rainfall increase by up to 30% over the last decade compared to the previous 30-year average. This rise isn't spread evenly across the season; instead, it is marked by short, intense downpours, such as those seen recently in Mumbai—an outcome of increasingly erratic monsoon stresses the need for proactive prevention through robust early warning systems. He highlights India's ongoing efforts, such as the Monsoon Mission weather forecast model, as important steps forward. But he adds that what's crucial now is scaling these systems across urban India with detailed observation networks to provide timely alerts and minimize damage from such extreme agree that these extreme weather patterns are a direct result of climate change, but also point to significant governance gaps. Aarti Khosla from Climate Trends noted that warming oceans are carrying more moisture, leading to more intense and erratic rainfall. She emphasised that cities are ill-prepared for such events, lacking resilient infrastructure for transport, public health, and emergency response. According to her, the early onset of the southwest monsoon, as seen in Mumbai, is a warning sign—and India must urgently integrate weather data with urban planning to protect vulnerable to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN's climate science body, India is projected to be one of the most vulnerable regions to escalating heatwaves, humid heat stress, and other extreme weather events in a 1.5C warmer world—threats that could bring irreversible over 90% of its workforce employed in the informal sector, in the world's most densely populated country, India faces heightened exposure to both the physical dangers and economic risks of rising heat recent years, the country has experienced record-breaking temperatures year after year, with early summer arriving as soon as February or March. Heatwaves have become more frequent, prolonged, and many areas, temperatures have soared close to 50C in recent years—leading to increased illness and loss of life, especially among vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children, and outdoor spans five distinct climatic zones—tropical, arid, semi-arid, temperate, and alpine—all of which are now experiencing severe disruptions due to rising the north, accelerated glacial melt and glacial lake formation are intensifying flood risks. Forest fires and water scarcity are putting pressure on hill ecosystems in states like arid and semi-arid regions are seeing erratic rainfall patterns, upending agricultural cycles. Traditional climate zones are flipping: flood-prone areas now face droughts, and vice India's 7,500-km coastline, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea are witnessing increased cyclogenesis—leading to stronger, more frequent storms, saltwater intrusion, humid heatwaves, affected fisheries, and rising sea level studies show a clear spatial-temporal shift in heatwave occurrences across India, with rising trends in three major regions: north-western, central, and south-central to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the most affected states and union territories include Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and economic and social toll of these extreme conditions is enormous. The Reserve Bank of India estimates that extreme heat and humidity could lead to a 4.5% loss in GDP by 2030 due to reduced labour in monsoon patterns and rising temperatures could further reduce GDP by 2.8% by 2030, potentially lowering living standards for nearly half the population by effective mitigation policies, India could face annual GDP losses of 3-10% by climate-induced extremes intensify, it's critical to assess temperature-related risks across key sectors like energy, industry, agriculture, and urban May 2024, India's power consumption surged by 15%, reaching a record peak demand of 250.07 GW, driven by extreme heat and surpassing all previous temperatures have increased the demand for residential cooling, industrial operations, and irrigation, making India more reliant on thermal power to meet its growing energy project a 9-10% increase in energy demand in 2025, driven in part by a sharp rise in air conditioner sales—highlighting both the rising energy demand and the growing disparity in generation to transmission to distribution, high temperatures strain energy systems. Experts note that as a conductor heats up, its molecules vibrate more, increasing resistance and reducing became evident in 2022, when India experienced its worst electricity shortage in over six years, leading to power cuts in homes and industries. For the manufacturing sector, such supply disruptions can severely impact production timelines and raise impact of heat stress extends far beyond the power grid. According to the World Bank, over 34 million jobs in India could be at risk due to heat exposure. Between 2001 and 2020, India lost around 259 billion hours of labour—worth US$ 624 billion (INR 46 lakh crore) annually—due to extreme heat and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs)—the backbone of the economy—are especially vulnerable to productivity declines, infrastructure damage, supply chain disruptions, and job 2022, heatwaves forced India to ban wheat exports after extreme temperatures slashed yields—highlighting the vulnerability of both the agriculture sector and global food supply scientists say heat stress has reduced rice yields by 15–20% across different to NDMA, broader impacts of heat stress on agriculture include declining soil moisture, water insecurity, increasing pest varieties, crop wilting, reduced food quality and nutrition, lower milk production, and impacts on animal growing threat of heat stress calls for urgent mid- and long-term strategies—both structural and non-structural—to limit economic and social fallout. Heat Action Plans remain India's main policy tool but require stronger coordination, greater investment, and cross-sector build resilience, India will need investment in cooling infrastructure, better urban design, early warning systems, and adaptive social protection. The real challenge lies in not just recognising heat as an economic threat, but also in mobilising targeted finance to tackle it and protect challenge is unique: it must build heat resilience while sustaining economic growth to create jobs and lift millions out of poverty. This calls for coordinated solutions from national, state, and local governments, industries, and Heat Conference being organised by Climate Trends aims to bring together these stakeholders to address what may be India's single greatest climate Watch
India Gazette
25-05-2025
- Climate
- India Gazette
Odisha: Koraput district records highest rainfall in 24 years, orange alert issued for other parts
Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], May 25 (ANI): Koraput district in Odisha has recorded its highest rainfall in 24 years, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). IMD Bhubaneswar Director Manorama Mohanty confirmed the development on Saturday, adding that widespread rainfall is expected across the state over the next few days.. 'Light to moderate rainfall is likely to occur at many places in Odisha over the next few days. The southwest monsoon has already set in over Kerala, and pre-monsoon showers are currently active in our state. Cyclonic circulation is going to form. Tomorrow, light and moderate rainfall will occur in many places of Odisha, and it will continue next 4-5 days,' Mohanty said. She also stated that an orange alert has been issued for several districts anticipating heavy rainfall. Fishermen have been warned not to venture into the sea on May 29 and 30 due to rough weather conditions expected along the Odisha coast. Bhubaneswar witnessed light rainfall on Saturday as pre-monsoon showers continued across Odisha. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light to moderate rain across several parts of the state over the next four to five days, with an orange warning issued for multiple districts. Meanwhile, the Southwest Monsoon has further advanced into some more parts of west central and east central Arabian Sea on Sunday, said the IMD. Along with these areas, the monsoons have also advanced into some more parts of the west-central and north Bay of Bengal. According to the Met Department, the conditions are favourable for further advancement of the monsoon. It may reach some more parts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Karnataka, including Bengaluru, Andhra Pradesh, remaining parts of Tamil Nadu in the next three days. On Saturday, the southwest monsoon hit Kerala, marking its earliest arrival on the Indian mainland since 2009, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). This year, the Southwest Monsoon set in over Kerala on May 24, eight days earlier than its normal onset date of June 1, said IMD. Favourable monsoons help monsoon-dependent agricultural regions, citizens, and last-mile users to tackle extreme weather events and the impacts of climate change in a better way. Favourable Monsoon has substantial economic benefits of government investments in monsoon-related weather and forecasting services, particularly benefiting farmers, livestock rearers, and fisherfolk. These advancements, like those through the Monsoon Mission and High Performance Computers, have yielded significant returns, including improved crop yields, reduced losses from extreme weather events, and enhanced capacity to manage resources. (ANI)
India Gazette
25-05-2025
- Climate
- India Gazette
Southwest Monsoon further advances into parts of Arabian sea, other areas: IMD
New Delhi [India], May 25 (ANI): The Southwest Monsoon has further advanced into some more parts of west central & east central Arabian Sea on Sunday, said the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Along with these areas, the monsoons have also advanced into some more parts of west-central and north Bay of Bengal. In a social media post on X, the IMD said, 'The Southwest Monsoon has further advanced into some more parts of westcentral & eastcentral Arabian Sea, some more parts of Karnataka, entire Goa, some parts of Maharashtra, some more parts of westcentral and north Bay of Bengal, and some more parts of Mizoram, some parts of Manipur and Nagaland today, the 25th May 2025.' 'The Northern Limit of Monsoon passes through 15.5N/55E, 15.5N/60E, 16N/65E, 16.5N/70E, Devgad, Belagavi, Haveri, Mandya, Dharmapuri, Chennai, 15N/83E, 18N/87E, 20N/89E, Aizawl, Kohima, 26.5N/95E, 27N/97E,' the social media post added. According to the Met Department, the conditions are favourable for further advancement of monsoon. It may reach into some more parts of Maharashtra including Mumbai, Karnataka including Bengaluru, Andhra Pradesh, remaining parts of Tamil Nadu in the next three days. The post reads, 'Conditions are favourable for further advance of Southwest Monsoon into some more parts of central Arabian Sea, some more parts of Maharashtra including Mumbai, Karnataka including Bengaluru, some parts of Andhra Pradesh, remaining parts of Tamil Nadu, some more parts of westcentral & North Bay of Bengal and some more parts of Northeastern states during next 3 days.' On Saturday, the southwest monsoon hit Kerala, marking its earliest arrival on the Indian mainland since 2009, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). This year, the Southwest Monsoon has set in over Kerala on May 24, eight days earlier than its normal onset date of June 1, said IMD. Favourable monsoons help monsoon-dependent agricultural regions, citizens, and last-mile users to tackle extreme weather events and the impacts of climate change in a better way. Favourable Monsoon has substantial economic benefits of government investments in monsoon-related weather and forecasting services, particularly benefiting farmers, livestock rearers, and fisherfolk. These advancements, like those through the Monsoon Mission and High Performance Computers, have yielded significant returns, including improved crop yields, reduced losses from extreme weather events, and enhanced capacity to manage resources. (ANI)
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Odisha: Koraput district records highest rainfall in 24 years, orange alert issued for other parts
Koraput district in Odisha has recorded its highest rainfall in 24 years, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). IMD Bhubaneswar Director Manorama Mohanty confirmed the development on Saturday, adding that widespread rainfall is expected across the state over the next few days.. "Light to moderate rainfall is likely to occur at many places in Odisha over the next few days. The southwest monsoon has already set in over Kerala, and pre-monsoon showers are currently active in our state. Cyclonic circulation is going to form. Tomorrow, light and moderate rainfall will occur in many places of Odisha, and it will continue next 4-5 days," Mohanty said. She also stated that an orange alert has been issued for several districts anticipating heavy rainfall. Fishermen have been warned not to venture into the sea on May 29 and 30 due to rough weather conditions expected along the Odisha coast. Bhubaneswar witnessed light rainfall on Saturday as pre-monsoon showers continued across Odisha. Live Events The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light to moderate rain across several parts of the state over the next four to five days, with an orange warning issued for multiple districts. Meanwhile, the Southwest Monsoon has further advanced into some more parts of west central and east central Arabian Sea on Sunday, said the IMD. Along with these areas, the monsoons have also advanced into some more parts of the west-central and north Bay of Bengal. According to the Met Department, the conditions are favourable for further advancement of the monsoon. It may reach some more parts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Karnataka, including Bengaluru, Andhra Pradesh, remaining parts of Tamil Nadu in the next three days. On Saturday, the southwest monsoon hit Kerala, marking its earliest arrival on the Indian mainland since 2009, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). This year, the Southwest Monsoon set in over Kerala on May 24, eight days earlier than its normal onset date of June 1, said IMD. Favourable monsoons help monsoon-dependent agricultural regions, citizens, and last-mile users to tackle extreme weather events and the impacts of climate change in a better way. Favourable Monsoon has substantial economic benefits of government investments in monsoon-related weather and forecasting services, particularly benefiting farmers, livestock rearers, and fisherfolk. These advancements, like those through the Monsoon Mission and High Performance Computers, have yielded significant returns, including improved crop yields, reduced losses from extreme weather events, and enhanced capacity to manage resources.
India Gazette
24-05-2025
- Climate
- India Gazette
Monsoon arrives in India, marks earliest onset since 2009
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], May 25 (ANI): The southwest monsoon hit Kerala on Saturday, marking its earliest arrival on the Indian mainland since 2009, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). According to the IMD, the Southwest Monsoon has further advanced into the remaining parts of the south Arabian Sea, some parts of the west-central & east-central Arabian Sea, the entire Lakshadweep area, and Kerala. As per the Met Department, the Monsoon has also advanced into Maharashtra, some parts of Karnataka, the remaining parts of the Maldives and the Comorin area, many parts of Tamil Nadu, the remaining parts of the southwest and east-central Bay of Bengal, some parts of the west-central and north Bay of Bengal, and some parts of Mizoram on Saturday. The Met Department added that conditions are favourable for further advance of Southwest Monsoon into some more parts of central Arabian Sea, entire Goa, some parts of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, some more parts of Karnataka, remaining parts of Tamil Nadu, some more parts of west-central and North Bay of Bengal, some more parts of parts of Northeastern states and some parts of Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim during next 2- 3 days. Favourable monsoons help monsoon-dependent agricultural regions, citizens, and last-mile users to tackle extreme weather events and the impacts of climate change in a better way. Favourable Monsoon has substantial economic benefits of government investments in monsoon-related weather and forecasting services, particularly benefiting farmers, livestock rearers, and fisherfolk. These advancements, like those through the Monsoon Mission and High Performance Computers, have yielded significant returns, including improved crop yields, reduced losses from extreme weather events, and enhanced capacity to manage resources. This year, the Southwest Monsoon has set in over Kerala on May 24, eight days earlier than its normal onset date of June 1, said IMD. In addition, the IMD stated that the Depression over south Konkan coast is very likely to continue to move nearly eastwards across south Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada and North Interior Karnataka and weaken gradually into a well-marked low pressure area during next 12 hours. In a social media post on X, the weather department stated, 'The Depression over south Konkan coast moved nearly eastwards with a speed of 18 kmph during past 6 hours, crossed the south Konkan coast near Ratnagiri between 1130 hrs IST and 1230 hrs IST and lay centred at 1730 Hrs IST of today, the 24th May 2025 over Madhya Maharashtra near latitude 17.1 N & longitude 74.3 E, about 40 km northwest of Sangli (Maharashtra), 100 km east of Ratnagiri (Maharashtra) and 140 km east-southwest of Satara (Maharashtra).' 'It is very likely to continue to move nearly eastwards across south Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada & North Interior Karnataka and weaken gradually into a well-marked low pressure area during next 12 hours,' the post added. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has also issued red and orange alerts for multiple districts in Kerala over the next three days, warning of heavy rainfall. Today, a red alert was declared for the Kasaragod and Kannur districts. An orange alert is in place for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, and Wayanad. On May 25, the red alert shifts to Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod. Meanwhile, an orange alert remains for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, and Palakkad. On May 26, the red alert is for Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod, indicating severe weather conditions. An orange alert will be in effect for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, and Alappuzha. Meanwhile, heavy to very heavy rainfall has been recorded at a few places over Kerala and Mahe and coastal Maharashtra; at isolated places over coastal and South Interior Karnataka, Odisha, Bihar, Madhya Maharashtra, Heavy rainfall at isolated places over Goa, Uttarakhand, Vidarbha, Saurashtra and Kutch, Tamil Nadu Puducherry & Karaikal till 8 am on Saturday, as per IMD. Speaking to ANI, IMD Scientist Neetha K Gopal said, 'Monsoon onset took place today, 24th May, and it is much ahead of its schedule. Normally, the standard monsoon arrival date in Kerala is 1st June, but IMD has already forecasted that the monsoon will reach early this year. The official forecast was 27th May with a model of 4 days. That means the monsoon could reach 4 days before 27th May or 4 days after 27th May. So, our forecast has also come true today.' The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) of Tamil Nadu said that this onset of southwest monsoon is much earlier than the normal onset. When asked about the northeast monsoons, B Amudha, the head of the Regional Meteorological Centre stated that the performance of northeast monsoon cannot be forecasted on the basis of performance of southwest monsoon. 'The normal date of onset of south west monsoon is June 1. This year Southwest monsoon has set in on 24th May. This is much earlier than the normal onset. If you look at the data from the past 16 years, in 2009, the monsoon set in on 23rd May. This year, it is 8 days earlier... At present, we cannot say anything about the performance of the northeast monsoon on the basis of southwest monsoon. Let us monitor the progress, and then we will issue the long-range forecast,' B Amudha said. Meanwhile, a 30-member team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) arrived in Tamil Nadu's Ooty as red alert for the rain has been issued for the Nilgiris district. District Collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru stated that the administration has requested people to follow precautions and not venture out unless in an emergency. She said, 'For the next 2 days, we have a red alert in the Nilgiris district. The southwest monsoon primarily affects taluks like Ooty, people here are requested to follow precautions and not venture out unless in an the boating activities have been stopped for today, and it may remain like this for the next 2 days...' (ANI)
