Extreme Weather Conditions Killed At Least 2,000 People, Over 17,000 Livestock In 2020 In India

In 2020, India not only battled the coronavirus pandemic but also faced some extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall, floods, landslides, thunderstorm, lightning, and cold waves that killed at least 2,000 people, according to India Meteorological Department¡¯s (IMD)?report on climate of India in 2020.

Cyclones killed 115 people and more than 17,000 livestock in the country in 2020, the report added.

Bihar, Uttar Pradesh most affected

According to IMD, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were the most affected states during the year with more than 350 deaths in each state due to thunderstorm, lightning and cold wave.

Heavy rainfall and floods claimed more than 600 lives in different parts of the country.

AP

Thunderstorms and lightning killed at least 815 people in India through the year.

Cyclone Amphan struck the Bay of Bengal in May and caused losses estimated at $13bn in just a few days. Amphan was one of the strongest cyclones ever recorded in the Bay of Bengal during the pre-monsoon season.

PIB

Five cyclones formed over the north Indian Ocean -- Amphan (super cyclonic storm), Nivar and Gati (very severe cyclonic storms), Nisarga (severe cyclonic storm), and Burevi (cyclonic storm) -- in 2020.

2020 eighth warmest year since 1901

The year 2020 was the eighth warmest year since 1901 but it was "substantially lower" than the highest warming observed in 2016, the Indian Meteorogical Department (IMD) said.

BCCL

The IMD said the past two decades -- 2001-2010 and 2011-2020 -- were also the warmest decades on record with anomalies of 0.23 degree Celsius and 0.34 degree Celsius respectively, indicating the overall rising temperature.

Twelve out of the 15 warmest years since 1901 were during the past 15 years -- between 2006 and 2020, according to IMD data.