The year 2025 witnessed a surge of extreme weather events and seismic disasters, impacting millions worldwide. From record-breaking heatwaves and devastating floods to powerful earthquakes and cyclones, communities across continents faced unprecedented challenges. Experts link many of these events to climate change and increasing environmental instability, emphasizing the need for stronger disaster preparedness.

India was no exception, enduring a series of punishing natural events. April saw a rare lightning outbreak across 12 states, killing at least 162 people, while north India remained trapped under a persistent heat dome, with Delhi recording temperatures above 45°C. The early monsoon brought record rainfall to the northeast, triggering floods and landslides in Assam, Manipur, and Mizoram.

Seismic activity added to India’s woes. Delhi-NCR experienced tremors in July, with a 4.4-magnitude quake near Jhajjar followed by a 3.7-magnitude aftershock, reviving concerns about urban seismic risk. Meanwhile, cloudbursts in Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir caused flash floods and landslides, devastating villages, washing away infrastructure, and claiming numerous lives.

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The country’s northern plains also suffered from riverine flooding. Punjab and Haryana experienced severe monsoon floods in August, as the Sutlej and Beas rivers breached embankments, submerging villages and damaging crops. Later in the year, Cyclone Montha and Cyclone Ditwah struck the southeastern and southern coasts, causing widespread flooding, displacements, and disruptions to daily life.

Globally, disasters continued unabated. California faced destructive wildfires in January, while Myanmar suffered a 7.7-magnitude quake in March, killing over 3,000 people. Europe endured prolonged heatwaves between April and September, and parts of Africa, including Nigeria, faced deadly flash floods in May. Pakistan saw severe monsoon floods affecting millions and causing over a thousand deaths.

The latter half of 2025 brought additional calamities, including a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula and volcanic eruptions, twin earthquakes in Afghanistan killing thousands, and relentless floods and typhoons across Southeast Asia. These events underscored the growing intensity and frequency of natural disasters worldwide, highlighting the urgent need for climate action and disaster resilience planning.

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