From cyclones to floods, 2019 was a year of record extreme weather events

As this year draws to a close, we take a look at the extreme weather events that hit India in 2019 and their impacts.

The year 2019 saw record extreme weather events triggered by climate change–this July was the hottest July ever recorded, the summer monsoon saw 74% more extreme rainfall events, forest fires were 113% more numerous year-on-year and seven cyclones hit the country. These extreme weather events displaced about 2.17 million people in the first six months of 2019. These figures are bound to rise as the displacements from cyclones and floods in the later half of the year are included.

With most number of deaths due to extreme weather events, India was also considered the fifth most vulnerable of 181 countries to the effects of climate change, IndiaSpend reported on December 5, 2019. As this year draws to a close, we take a look at the extreme weather events that hit India in 2019 and their impacts.

Heatwaves

More than half the population of India was gripped by an intense heatwave in the summer months of June and July 2019, killing over 200 people. The Indian government declares a heatwave when temperatures reach at least 4.5 deg-C above the “normal” temperature for an area for at least two days.

In early June 2019, when intense heatwave scorched large parts of India, some regions experienced temperatures surpassing 45 deg-Celcius (deg-C) for the better part of three weeks. On June 10, Delhi reached its hottest day on record for the month, reaching 48 deg-C, according to the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) State of Global Climate 2019 released on December 3, 2019.

110 dead in four days due to heavy rains across country; Patna worst hit

As many as 13 deaths were also reported on Saturday from Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in incidents triggered by heavy rains

Nearly 110 people died in rain-related incidents across the country in the past four days, with Uttar Pradesh reporting the maximum deaths, while incessant rainfall in Bihar has badly hit normal life, with almost all areas of capital city Patna under knee-deep waters and people struggling to meet their daily needs.

In what the weather department said could be the longest delayed withdrawal of Monsoon, rains continued to lash several states including Bihar, where at least 13 people have died over the past 48 hours, while large swathes were inundated, affecting railway traffic, healthcare services, schools and disrupting power supply. In Uttar Pradesh, at least 79 people have died since Thursday. According to a state government report, 25 people died on Saturday, 18 lost their lives on Friday and 36 the day before.

In Gujarat, three women drowned after their car was swept away at a flooded causeway in Rajkot district on Sunday following heavy rains in several parts of Saurashtra region, officials said. As many as 13 deaths were also reported on Saturday from Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in incidents triggered by heavy rains…

Read More: Patna Flood

From storms to cold waves, 2018 was 6th warmest year in Indian history: IMD

2018 was also the year when India witnessed several high-impact weather events ranging from cyclonic storms to cold waves

Current Affiairs : The average temperature in India was “significantly above normal” in 2018, making it the sixth warmest year the country has witnessed since 1901 – when it first began recording climate data. The winter season was the fifth warmest.

In its ‘Statement on Climate of India during 2018,’ the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Wednesday that last year, the annual mean surface air temperature, averaged across the country, was 0.41°C above (1981-2010 period) average. For some states, the temperature soared even well above that – such as in Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. According to a Quartz report, heatwaves have increased in duration. Global warming could further increase both their frequency as well as intensity. This would, in turn, pose a threat to public health. The national weather forecaster further noted that over 1,400 people died in extreme weather events last year in India, and according to a National Disaster Management Authority report, between 1992 and 2016, nearly 26,000 died.

While 2016 (0.72°C) was the warmest in India’s recorded history, 11 out of the 15 warmest years have so far all been within the last 15 years. The last decade (2001-2010/2009-2018) was also the warmest on record. This “clearly shows that ‘global warming’ is happening and we need to prepare ourselves to face the consequences,” M. Rajeevan, secretary of the earth sciences ministry told Times of India..

Contain Source: Business Standard