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Annual mean temperature rises 0.7°C in 23 years, says MoSPI report
The annual mean temperature in India rose by 0.7°C to 25.74°C between 2001 and 2024, marking a 24-year high, according to the annual environment report by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
A 0.5–1°C increase can lead to noticeable changes in various aspects of climate and ecosystems, such as altering the probability of extreme precipitation, deadly heatwaves, water stress, and impacting biodiversity.
The effects of rising temperatures were reflected in a sharp increase in heatwave events. India recorded 200 heatwave days in 2024, up significantly from 111 days in 2023. This is the highest number of heatwave days since 2010, when 278 such days were reported.
Regarding rainfall, the report EnviStats India 2025: Environment Statistics revealed that it increased to 1,206 mm in 2024 from 1,078 mm in 2001, reflecting seasonal variability due to changing climatic conditions. The highest monthly rainfall in 2024 was 304 mm in July.
From 2001 to 2024, most rainfall occurred between June and September, suggesting potential shifts in rainfall patterns, including late onsets or extended rainfall into October. In 2024, the highest monthly rainfall recorded was 304.6 mm.
'Despite these fluctuations, there is no clear long-term trend in total annual rainfall. The data for 2024 aligns with typical monsoon rainfall patterns,' MoSPI said in its report, which is the eighth edition and follows the United Nations Framework for the Development of Environment Statistics (FDES), 2013, offering a comprehensive collection of data on diverse environmental topics and indicators.
Although coldwave days also increased—from 33 in 2023 to 40 in 2024—they remained below the long-term average of 70 days.
Not only heatwaves, coldwaves, and extreme rainfall but also other natural calamities like cyclones and floods are on the rise, claiming 8,060 lives in 2022, including 2,887 deaths due to lightning. According to provisional data, 3,080 people lost their lives in FY25 compared to 2,616 the previous year.
Heat stroke was also a significant cause of mortality, particularly in 2017 and 2022. While total deaths fluctuated each year, lightning and heat stroke were persistent major contributors. Other causes such as floods, cyclones, tornadoes, tsunamis, and others also contributed to the total deaths.
Cattle losses reached 61,960 in FY25 compared to 21,269 in FY02, while 364,124 houses were damaged, up from 346,878 during the same period.
This has an economic impact as well. Government expenditure due to natural calamities rose to Rs 33,324 crore in FY23 from Rs 10,980 crore in FY13.
The government spent Rs 4,969 crore on environmental protection in FY23, up from Rs 1,676 crore in FY12. Corporate spending on environmental protection initiatives was Rs 28,320 crore between FY15 and FY23.
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