As many as 23 soldiers of the Indian Army went missing after a sudden cloudburst over Sikkim’s Lhonak Lake on Wednesday. The cloud burst triggered a flash flood in the Teesta River in Lachen Valley. Due to flooding in Muguthang, two permanent bridges have been completely damaged at Dikchu and Toong. Locals are being rescued from the area by BRO Karamyogis.
The flash floods in Sikkim add to the growing list of extreme weather events witnessed in India and many other places around the world in the year 2023.
This year, heavy rainfall during monsoon resulted in flash floods and landslides in various states across Northern India. Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Rajasthan were some of the worst affected states in the country. Despite extensive damage, India recorded below-average rainfall this season.
News18 looks back at some of the unprecedented humanitarian crises witnessed due to intense weather events this year.
India
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal was the hardest hit, with over 400 dead and 40 still missing during flooding in July and August this year. The unprecedented rainfall also hit the state’s Rs 20,000-crore tourism industry, with damage to properties worth hundreds of crores.
As per the data, as many as 170 incidents of cloudburst or landsliding have been reported in Himachal since monsoon hit the state on June 24. As per Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the losses from the combined floods of 2023 have been as high as 10,000 crore rupees.
Uttarakhand
In Uttarakhand too, floods and landslides following heavy rains in monsoon this year resulted in widespread loss of life and property. As many as 75 people were killed throughout the state between April and August.
Punjab
A high alert was issued across several districts in Punjab on July 9 after incessant rains caused a flood-like situation in the state. The situation worsened in Patiala and Dera Bassi where streets were inundated, prompting authorities to evacuate residents from their homes.
Delhi
In Delhi, Yamuna River breached its all-time high-water mark in July after the national capital witnessed the highest precipitation in a single day in over 40 years. Water released from Himachal and other rain-affected states also contributed to the woes after river water entered prominent areas, including the street outside Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence in Civil Lines, and moved towards Connaught Place.
Kashmir
Landslides triggered by heavy rain damaged the national highway, due to which the Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage was suspended for several days this year. At least four people were killed in rain-related incidents this year.
Haryana
For the first time in history, Haryana was put under a flood warning. As per the government data, 12 districts of the state, including Ambala, Panchkula, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Sirsa, Fatehabad, Kaithal, Karnal, Panipat, Sonipat, Palwal, and Faridabad were affected by floods which claimed the life of at least 35 people.
Maharastra
Heavy rainfall lashed parts of Maharashtra, where a landslide triggered by territorial rains in Raigad left at least 57 people dead. Over 30 people were also killed in rain-related incidents in Mumbai.
World
New York
New York Governor Kathy Hochul on September 30 declared a state of emergency across New York City, Long Island, and surrounding area after torrential storms flooded subways and streets and delayed flights. Roads were closed, subway services were disrupted and basements were overwhelmed in the New York City area after “dangerous and life-threatening” torrential rain surged across the concrete expanse of the city.
Libya
Flooding in Libya has killed over 11,000 people in the country’s north-eastern region after Heavy rainfall led to the collapse of two dams.
Brazil
An extratropical cyclone in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul killed at least 27 people in September. Rio Grande do Sul’s governor Eduardo Leite described as the state’s worst weather disaster on record.
China
In August, “exceptional rainfall” caused by typhoon Doksuri in the Hai River basin in northern China, resulted in the “worst floods” experienced by the country since 1963″, CNA reported. Hai River basin covers Beijing, Hebei Province, and Tianjin Port.
Heatwaves In US & UK
“Historic heat” levels were recorded in the US states of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona in June and July. According to a report by The Guardian, temperatures in Arizona’s capital Phonix topped 43 degrees celcius for 31 consecutive days.
Scorching temperatures have also impacted countries across Europe this summer.
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