Powerful rain and floods devastate northern India as experts blame climate change

Relentless monsoon rains have unleashed some of the worst flooding and landslides in decades across northern India, killing at least 90 people and displacing hundreds of thousands in recent weeks, government officials said.

India’s Himalayan Mountain states and territories such as Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, as well as Punjab state, are among the worst affected. India’s capital city, New Delhi, and nearby regions have been hit by rising rivers and heavy rain.

Thousands have been moved to safer ground as city officials said the Yamuna River in the city has breached danger levels.

In Punjab state, which is home to more than 30 million people and one of India’s key agricultural regions, farmers said crops and livestock have been destroyed.

Climate change is likely a key reason for the monsoon’s unpredictability, which has led to the heavy rains in August and these conditions are expected to persist for the next few weeks, according to experts.

The South Asian region, which is among the world’s most densely populated regions, will need to better prepare for rain-related disasters as their frequency and intensity increase, experts said.