Majorities across India say extreme weather is now part of daily life, and many link these events to global warming. New district-level estimates from the Climate Opinion Maps for India show how people across 34 states and Union territories describe their recent experiences with heat, storms, drought, floods, and other disruptions. The data also show how many believe global warming is influencing these events.
India recorded extreme weather on 322 days in 2024. Reports from across 634 districts included heat waves, excess rainfall, floods, and landslides. National agencies recorded more than 1,500 deaths during the monsoon season. With a population of more than 1.4 billion and repeated exposure to severe weather, the new findings offer a detailed look at how people view these risks.
The estimates draw on more than 19,000 phone interviews conducted between 2022 and 2025. Survey responses were combined with demographic and geographic data, including gender, age, caste, education, urban or rural location, and local climate vulnerability. Census counts were used to produce district-level estimates.
Widespread Experience of Extreme Weather
Across India, most adults say they have faced at least one major extreme weather impact in the past year. Seventy-one percent say they faced severe heat waves. Fifty-nine percent report agricultural pests and diseases. Fifty-nine percent report electricity outages. More than half report water pollution, droughts, or water shortages. Fifty-one percent report severe air pollution. About four in ten report storms, food shortages, cyclones, or floods.
Personal experience differs across regions. In Rajasthan, Delhi, and Haryana, more than three-quarters of adults say they faced severe heat waves. Research identifies this region as highly exposed to heat stress. In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, just over half report similar exposure.
Cyclones also show clear differences. While the national figure stands at 35 percent, 64 percent of adults in Odisha report cyclone exposure. Odisha was struck by Cyclone Dana in October 2024. More than two-thirds of adults in the state also report droughts and water shortages.
Other states show lower exposure to drought. Fewer than 40 percent of adults in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, and Punjab report droughts or water shortages. These states have different rainfall patterns and water sources that shape their experiences.
MP’s contrasting climate experiences
Districts in Madhya Pradesh show a mix of high exposure and high awareness. In Nimach, 77 percent of adults say they experienced severe heat waves in the past year. Sixty-one percent report droughts and water shortages, and half report water pollution. Ninety-three percent say they have personally experienced the effects of global warming. Forty-six percent say they know a lot or something about global warming, which is slightly below the national average.
Bhopal shows higher awareness. Sixty-seven percent say they know a lot or something about global warming. Ninety-seven percent say global warming is happening. Eighty-two percent say it is affecting severe heat waves, and 80 percent say it is affecting droughts and water shortages. Thirty-five percent say they experienced droughts in the past year, and 25 percent say they faced severe floods.
These differences across districts highlight how exposure varies even within a single state. Urban centers like Bhopal report higher awareness, while districts such as Nimach report stronger direct exposure to heat waves and drought.
National Patterns
Across India, most adults believe global warming affects heat waves, droughts, cyclones, and floods, even in states where exposure is low. In Haryana and Rajasthan, 80 percent report exposure to severe heat.
Similarly, in Kerala, only 55 percent report the same. In Tamil Nadu, the figure stands at 52 percent. These differences reflect varied local conditions and risk levels.
Researchers say the findings can guide planning. Jagadish Thaker, senior lecturer at the University of Queensland, said the maps can help leaders design plans that reflect “people’s lived realities” as India develops and faces growing risk.
India saw extreme weather on nearly nine out of ten days in 2024. The impacts varied by district. In Odisha, 64 percent report cyclone exposure, and more than two-thirds report drought. In Kerala, around 30 percent report severe storms. These differences show how climate risks spread unevenly across the country.
Risk and Public Support
Many adults say global warming will harm them, their community, and future generations. Most say the issue is important to them personally. Large majorities support national programs to teach about global warming and to train workers for renewable energy jobs. Most say India should use fewer fossil fuels in the future and expand renewable energy use.
These views show how exposure, information, and local conditions shape beliefs across India. In districts like Nimach in Madhya Pradesh, 77 percent say they faced severe heat waves, and 93 percent say they have experienced the effects of global warming. In Bhopal, 67 percent say they know a lot or something about global warming, and 97 percent say it is happening.
Human Impact
Extreme weather continues to affect urban centers, coastal regions, and agricultural districts in different ways. Heat waves strain health systems and power grids. Excess rainfall disrupts transport and damages crops. Cyclones and floods displace families and damage homes. Drought reduces water supply for daily use and farming.
The new maps show how people describe these events in their own districts and how they view the role of global warming. These insights can guide adaptation, early warning systems, and long-term planning as India faces more frequent and intense weather events.
The mapping tool allows users to explore state and district data for more than fifty measures. It presents beliefs, experiences, risk perceptions, and policy support at a local scale. As India continues to face heat, heavy rainfall, storms, drought, and other disruptions, the findings outline how people across the country understand a changing climate and its influence on daily life.
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