Indian weather is subject to change abruptly due to natural and man made catastrophes. cyclone and heat waves are the two most destructive and devastating natural disasters in India. Map showing areas of highest risk, shaded by natural and man-made distributions of annual rainfall. Cystic floods, drought, lightning, landslides, and mountain storms are the most disastrous natural disasters in India. Natural disaster in India cause heavy losses of human life and material possessions.
Floods and cyclones destroy the agricultural lands severely and deny food to millions of people who depend on the natural reservoirs for their livelihood. Heat waves and rising water levels in lakes, rivers, and seas also threaten natural habitat of millions of aquatic organisms. Most Indian towns, cities, villages, and national parks are vulnerable to floods, cyclones, or landslides due to natural causes. cyclones and floods in India have frequently in the past decade swept away large numbers of people, leaving behind thousands of skeletons and extensive damage to infrastructure.
Heavy rains, landslides, and floods often destroy infrastructure, trigger mudslides, and damage natural resources. Natural disasters in India cause heavy loss of lives, extensive property losses, extensive damage to crops and livestock, disruption of normal life, and death and disability of thousands of people. Tsunami (tsunami typhoon) and earthquake (earthquake) are two of the most destructive natural events in recent times in India. Floods and landslides are common features of the Indian monsoon. Maps of India clearly indicates areas prone to floods and landslides.
Indian Meteorological Department maps (published monthly in the Indian Meteorological Department’s website) forecast climatic conditions for the next five to seven days. These conditions are analyzed to forecast the probability and intensity of floods and the likelihood and intensity of monsoons. Precipitation is characterized by precipitation over the land. The severity of precipitation determines the risk of flooding, drought, and landslides. The severity of climate change is indicated on the ITCZ (Indian Terrestrial Climate Zone), a global map of the Earth’s land surface.
The meteorological department classifies Indian land surface temperatures based on the Karthik high-resolution weather station located at Manali, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Darjeeling, and Ladakh. Temporal temperature variations are displayed in the lower right panel of the figure. An illustration of recent natural disasters in India is presented on the map in black, while global warming indicators are displayed in yellow.
A severe summer cyclone event is named after the cyclone season. There was one such devastating Indian cyclone, named as Karthik Panchami in 2021, which was the strongest Indian summer cyclone and the fourth strongest cyclone in the world. According to the meteorological department, there have been several occurrences of summer cyclones in the past hundreds of years. Among them the most recent occurrence was the Cyclone Wilma in Western Australia, which was a strong cyclone with maximum intensity of about 4.9 on the numerical rating scale. This cyclone killed over a hundred people and displaced thousands.
Odissi, one of the most important seasons in India, has also been named as a significant natural disaster. The Indian Meteorological Department has warned that this year, April to May, there will be a higher risk of cyclonic storm activity. The cyclonic activity will likely affect India in the North Eastern regions, which are prone to frequent cyclonic storm activity, due to their high altitude and coastline. The abnormal weather in the region will likely lead to a rise in air pollution and a decline in the natural vegetation.
cyclonic storms and floods can also be linked to human interventions. Increased population in areas prone to natural disasters is a major contributor in the increase in natural disasters and floods. Rapid urbanization, built-up land and inappropriate development of low-lying areas, over-saturated land, and poor water management, are some of the critical reasons for increasing risk of natural disasters. Moreover, population movement, unplanned migration, and the change in climate are some of the other factors that may lead to an influx of people into low-lying areas and increase vulnerability to natural disasters. Admittedly, natural disasters can be prevented and reduced by implementing various activities aimed at sustainable development, sustainable use of natural resources, and awareness creation among vulnerable communities.