India extreme weather events; landslides in Kerala state

Members of rescue teams conduct rescue operation at a landslide site after multiple landslides in the hills in Wayanad, in the southern state of Kerala, India, July 30, 2024. REUTERS/CK Thanseer

India has witnessed extreme weather conditions in recent years, from torrential rain and floods to droughts and cyclones. Experts say climate change is worsening such events and making them more frequent and less predictable.

More than 90 people were killed after landslides swept through tea estates and homes in Kerala state on July 30.

Following are details of recent extreme weather events in the country.

HEATWAVE, FLOODS IN DELHI

Heavy rains caused floods in capital New Delhi in June, following weeks of extreme heat. Torrential rains caused a fatal airport roof collapse in June, while three students drowned in a flooded basement classroom on July 27.

In May, thunderstorms caused a billboard to collapse in financial capital Mumbai, killing at least 14 people, while flash floods in July disrupted transportation.

RIVERS OVERFLOW IN ASSAM

Several rivers swelled up in Assam state in the northeast in July after seasonal monsoon rains, triggering floods and landslides that killed at least 79 people and displaced thousands. More than 150 animals, including rare one-horned rhinoceros, drowned in the state's Kaziranga National Park.

CYCLONE IN SOUTHERN INDIA

A severe cyclone hit India's southeastern coast in December 2023, after torrential rains and flooding killed at least 13 people. Sustained downpours in Tamil Nadu state in the subsequent days led to inundated neighbourhoods, roads and railways, and killed at least 31 people.

HIMALAYAN GLACIAL LAKE OUTBURST

A Himalayan glacial lake burst its banks in October 2023 after heavy rains in the northeastern state of Sikkim, triggering the region's worst floods in more than 50 years which killed 179 and swept away homes and bridges.

LANDSLIDE SWEEPS AWAY POWER PROJECTS

A landslide 20 km (12 miles) away from the second highest peak in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand in February 2021 left more than 200 dead, triggered flash floods and swept away two hydroelectric projects.

LANDSLIDES NEAR MUMBAI

A landslide in July 2023 flattened several homes in a village near Mumbai, killing at least 27 and trapping scores of residents.

FLOODS IN KERALA

The southern state of Kerala witnessed its worst flood in a century in 2018, which killed at least 373 people and displaced 1.2 million to shelter camps. The state had received 40% more rainfall than usual.