Deluge of 2025: Climate Red Flag, Gaps in Preparedness

Climate change may be disrupting traditional patterns like the Indian monsoon and jet streams. Also, warming of the Indian Ocean and more frequent El Niño events can make monsoon rains erratic.

- RUCHIRA TALAPATRA

A submerged car on a flooded street – a common sight during the 2025 deluge. The summer of 2025 saw relentless floods across India, with scenes of inundated cities, overflowing rivers, and landslides in the hills. From June through September, extraordinary monsoon rains pummeled various regions, causing hundreds of deaths and affecting millions of lives. India's capital Delhi recorded over 1,000 mm of rain, far above its seasonal normal of 774 mm. Across North India, roads caved in and bridges collapsed, while farmlands in the plains turned into lakes.

This wasn't just an isolated national crisis – catastrophic floods struck globally too, from monsoon-soaked Asia to a deadly flash flood in Texas, USA. Experts are calling these events a wake-up call on climate extremes, planning, and preparedness. In this explainer, we debunk myths about the causes of floods and analyze why extreme weather events are escalating. We also compare how different regions coped, to draw lessons for the future.

MYTHS AND FACTS ABOUT FLOOD CAUSES

When disasters strike, they are often followed by a flood (no pun intended) of speculation about causes. Let's tackle some common myths about why floods happen, and the corresponding facts:

Myth 1: "These floods are just freak natural events – climate change isn't a factor."