What percentage of Indians experienced severe heat waves according to the report?

Over 70 percent of Indians reported personally experiencing severe heat waves.

How do climate change impacts vary across India?

Experiences with extreme weather and climate change vary significantly across India's states and districts, as shown by Climate Opinion Maps.

What is the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication report about?

The report analyzes how people across India experience extreme weather and their beliefs about climate change's role.

Home / Environment / Indians Face Extreme Weather Surge: Report Reveals Shocking Reality

Indians Face Extreme Weather Surge: Report Reveals Shocking Reality

18 Nov, 2025

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Summary

Over 70% of Indians report experiencing severe heat waves.
A majority faced extreme weather and climate impacts in the past year.
Experiences vary significantly across India's diverse states and districts.

More than 70 percent of Indians have reported experiencing severe heat waves, as well as droughts and water shortages, according to a recent report. The study, which collected data from over 19,000 respondents between 2022 and 2025, created Climate Opinion Maps to illustrate how extreme weather experiences and beliefs about climate change differ across India's states and districts.

Nationally, a significant portion of the population has encountered severe heat waves (71 percent), electricity outages (59 percent), and water pollution (53 percent) in the past twelve months. The report emphasizes the importance of understanding these lived realities to help leaders design effective climate action plans that resonate with the public and foster support for solutions.

Geographic variations are notable, with states like Rajasthan, Haryana, and Odisha reporting higher instances of severe heat waves compared to southern states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Odisha, in particular, experienced a much higher rate of cyclone impacts. These insights are crucial for policymakers to develop climate adaptation strategies that align with public perceptions.