Extreme weather events claimed 1,750 lives in India in 2021, Maharashtra worst-hit; check state-wise list

While thunderstorms and lightning claimed more than 780 lives across India last year, over 750 people died in heavy rainfall and flood-related incidents.

New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday (January 14, 2022) issued a statement on the 'Climate of India during 2021' and said that the country saw around 1,750 deaths due to extreme weather events last year. 

The Met department said that Maharashtra was the worst-affected state with 350 fatalities, followed by Odisha and Madhya Pradesh.

It informed that thunderstorms and lightning claimed more than 780 lives in India last year, while 759 people died in heavy rainfall and flood-related incidents.

Cyclonic storms claimed 172 lives and 32 others died due to other extreme weather events, the IMD said.

Heavy rainfall and flood related-incidents claimed 215 lives in Maharashtra, 143 in Uttarakhand, 55 in Himachal Pradesh, 53 in Kerala and 46 in Andhra Pradesh, according to the report.

Thunderstorms and lightning claimed 213 lives in Odisha, 156 in Madhya Pradesh, 89 in Bihar, 76 in Maharashtra, 58 in West Bengal, 54 in Jharkhand, 49 in Uttar Pradesh and 48 in Rajasthan.

The Met Department said 223 people died due to extreme weather events in Odisha, 191 in Madhya Pradesh, 147 in Uttarakhand, 102 in Bihar, 98 in Uttar Pradesh, 92 in Gujarat and 86 in West Bengal.

Sixty-seven died in Kerala, 62 in Rajasthan, 59 in Himachal Pradesh, 57 in Jharkhand, 50 in Andhra Pradesh, 45 in Karnataka, 34 in Tamil Nadu, 32 in Jammu and Kashmir, 25 in Telangana and 14 in Assam.

Of the seven deaths recorded in Delhi due to extreme weather events, four occurred because of heavy rainfall and flooding, the IMD data showed.

The IMD also stated that 2021 was the fifth warmest year on record since 1901. It also said that 11 out of 15 warmest years were during the recent fifteen years (2007-2021).

(With agency inputs)