Recap 2025: The most important extreme weather stories this year

The year 2025, as highlighted by the 'Recap 2025' article, served as a stark reminder of the accelerating pace and intensifying impact of climate change across the globe. From devastating wildfires in Los Angeles to unprecedented cloudbursts in Chennai and extreme rainfall across North India, alongside an unusually warm 'winterless Christmas' in Europe and the US, these events underscore a critical global challenge with profound implications for India.

**Background Context:**

These extreme weather phenomena are not isolated incidents but rather direct consequences of global warming, primarily driven by anthropogenic activities, particularly the emission of greenhouse gases since the Industrial Revolution. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports have consistently warned that rising global temperatures lead to more frequent and intense extreme weather events. Warmer oceans contribute to more powerful storms and increased moisture in the atmosphere, resulting in heavier rainfall and cloudbursts. Conversely, prolonged dry spells, exacerbated by heat, create tinderbox conditions for wildfires. The 'winterless Christmas' observed in 2025 in parts of the Northern Hemisphere is a clear indicator of altered seasonal patterns and a general warming trend that disrupts traditional climatic norms.

**What Happened:**

In 2025, Los Angeles battled severe wildfires, a recurrent and growing threat in regions prone to drought and high temperatures, fueled by climate change. Simultaneously, India experienced its own share of calamities: Chennai was hit by destructive cloudbursts, a phenomenon characterized by extremely heavy precipitation over a localized area in a short period, leading to flash floods and urban disruption. North India also grappled with extreme rainfall events, causing widespread flooding, damage to infrastructure, and agricultural losses. These events, particularly those in India, directly impacted densely populated regions, highlighting the vulnerability of critical infrastructure and human lives to such sudden and intense weather shifts.

**Key Stakeholders:**

Globally, key stakeholders include the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the IPCC, responsible for scientific assessment and international policy frameworks like the Paris Agreement. Nationally, for India, the Central Government, particularly the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), and the Ministry of Home Affairs (through the National Disaster Management Authority - NDMA, and National Disaster Response Force - NDRF), plays a pivotal role in policy formulation, disaster preparedness, and response. State governments (e.g., Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand for the mentioned events), local municipal bodies, scientific institutions like the India Meteorological Department (IMD), and various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are crucial at the implementation and grassroots level. Affected communities are primary stakeholders, bearing the brunt of these events and participating in resilience-building efforts.

**Significance for India:**

For India, a country highly vulnerable to climate change due to its diverse geography and large agrarian population, these events carry immense significance. Economically, extreme weather leads to significant agricultural losses, impacting food security and farmer livelihoods. Damage to infrastructure – roads, railways, power grids, and communication networks – disrupts economic activity and requires massive reconstruction efforts, straining state budgets. Socially, these events cause displacement, loss of life, health crises (e.g., water-borne diseases post-floods), and exacerbate existing inequalities, particularly affecting marginalized communities. Politically, managing and responding to such disasters poses significant governance challenges, requiring robust disaster management frameworks and inter-state cooperation. India's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement reflect its commitment to mitigation and adaptation, making these domestic events critical for international climate discourse.

**Historical Context and Future Implications:**

India has a history of devastating natural disasters, such as the 2013 Kedarnath floods and the 2015 Chennai floods, which serve as grim precedents. The increasing frequency and intensity of events in 2025 demonstrate an escalating trend, aligning with scientific predictions. Looking ahead, the future implications are severe: increased frequency of extreme weather events, enhanced strain on public services, potential for climate migration, and greater pressure on natural resources. This necessitates a proactive approach towards climate-resilient infrastructure, early warning systems, sustainable urban planning, and a rapid transition to renewable energy sources to mitigate future impacts.

**Related Constitutional Articles, Acts, and Policies:**

India's commitment to environmental protection and disaster management is enshrined in its legal and policy framework. **Article 48A** of the Directive Principles of State Policy mandates that 'The State shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wild life of the country.' Similarly, **Article 51A(g)** lists as a Fundamental Duty for every citizen 'to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life, and to have compassion for living creatures.'

The **Environment (Protection) Act, 1986**, provides a broad framework for environmental protection and improvement. More specifically for disaster response, the **Disaster Management Act, 2005**, established the NDMA and State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs), creating a robust institutional mechanism for disaster preparedness, mitigation, and response. Furthermore, India's **National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)**, launched in 2008, outlines eight national missions focusing on sustainable development, adaptation, and mitigation. These national efforts, coupled with India's international commitments, form the bedrock of its strategy to combat climate change and its devastating consequences.

These 2025 events serve as an urgent call for accelerated global and national action to address climate change at its root, emphasizing the need for both mitigation (reducing emissions) and adaptation (building resilience to unavoidable impacts).