Weather takes dramatic turn, rain storms threaten several states

In a “significant shift in weather conditions” heavy rainfall threatened several northern states, while parts of southern India prepare for the onset of the northeast monsoon, reported DTE.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast issued on October 14, 2026, changing atmospheric conditions could disrupt daily life, damage crops and pose risks to infrastructure. Meanwhile, unusually high temperatures and rising humidity are expected to continue in several regions, adding to public discomfort.

Western disturbances has formed a cyclonic circulation over northwestern Uttar Pradesh, while another system is active over northern Pakistan and adjoining Jammu which could trigger thunderstorms, lightning, hailstorms and strong winds across Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and parts of western Rajasthan on Wednesday.

Heavy rainfall is also possible in parts of Jammu and Kashmir. The IMD has indicated the possibility of rainfall ranging from 64.5 mm to 155.5 mm in affected areas, warranting caution over potential waterlogging, landslides and transport disruptions, DTE article noted. 

Southern India is preparing for another important seasonal transition. The northeast monsoon is likely to begin over southern peninsular India, marking a crucial period for rainfall-dependent agriculture and water resources.

Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal may receive heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning. Kerala, Mahe and parts of south interior Karnataka could also experience thunderstorms and lightning.

Parts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha may witness thunderstorms accompanied by winds of 30–40 kilometres per hour. 

Nepal hit by flash floods again: Homes and bridges swept away, at least 5 people missing 

A major river in Nepal has flooded, sweeping away houses, bridges and damaging a part of hydropower station. Nine foreigners were among the 95 people rescued so far. Can along the bank of the Budhi Gandaki River in the central Gorkha district, the army confirmed. Five people are missing, BBC reported adding that the country is still  trying to recover from floods that hit its border towns with Tibet two months ago, which left over 1400 people dead and thousands missing.

Preliminary assessments suggest that a landslide blocked the river upstream, creating a temporary barrier that later gave way and unleashed a sudden surge downstream. Around  45 houses were swept away and  three hydropower projects and four bridges were damaged. Authorities issued mobile phone alerts and urged residents downstream, including those along the Trishuli and Narayani river systems, to move to safer areas. 

The Indian Express reported that satellite  observations can help map lakes, track glacier retreat but it may not provide the real-time information needed to detect a rapidly rising lake or an impending failure of a natural dam, where ground-based sensors can help.  Experts told the newspaper that sensors could, where conditions allow, provide warnings hours in advance, giving authorities time to evacuate vulnerable settlements.

Super El-Nino: India to face drier, warmer winter and hotter summer in 2027

India is expected to  face a warmer and drier entry into winter, a hotter summer in 2027 and fresh stress on water, crops, power and health as a super El Niño builds, ET reported. 

The  World Meteorological Organization forecasts a near-100% chance that the El Niño will persist through February 2027, bringing unseasonably warm temperatures and a potential "snow drought" in the Himalayas. The article notes that after a southwest monsoon that ended with a nearly 13%  rainfall deficit, low soil moisture and declining reservoir levels threaten Rabi crops like wheat (which need cool temperatures) and raise risks for drinking water and hydropower. 

Super El Nino event formed in September, China's National Climate Center says

China’s National Climate Centre (NCC) said a super El Niño event has formed in the equatorial central and eastern Pacific in September, reported CGTN. 

According to the NCC, sea-surface temperatures had met the threshold for a super El Niño event, reported Xinhua.

The Paper reported that the event will heighten the risk of “severe flooding” in the Yangtze River basin in 2027. The outlet wrote that China’s approach to flood control is undergoing a “fundamental shift”, as extreme daily precipitation events have occurred 31% more often on average. The  “rapid shifts between drought and flooding” have also become more frequent, making flood control in northern China a “constant test”. 

Climate change added a month of risky heat; 117 million affected in India

Over 1.5 billion people experienced at least a month of climate-change induced risky heat (the point at which health risks from heat begin to climb) between June and August 2026, according to a new analysis by research group Climate Central, reported DTE. India accounted for 117 million people exposed to at least 30 such days, among the highest totals recorded globally.

Europe became the most unusually hot region relative to its historical climate the article said adding that nine in 10 Europeans experienced at least a month of risky heat during the three-month period, while France and the Holy See (Vatican) recorded temperatures averaging 3.5 degrees Celsius above their historical norms, followed by Andorra and Switzerland.

The outlet cited the study saying prolonged heat contributed to record-breaking wildfires, widespread drought and additional pressure on emergency and health services in several regions.

The analysis used Climate Central’s Climate Shift Index (CSI) to estimate how much more likely climate change made daily temperatures between June 1 and August 31. It defined “risky heat days” as days hotter than 90 per cent of temperatures historically experienced in a local area during the same time of year between 1991 and 2020. 

Heat and humidity persist despite changing weather

Rainfall and thunderstorms currently prevailing in India will not bring immediate relief from heat in India, DTE reported. Several regions continue to experience temperatures significantly above seasonal averages.

Coastal Karnataka has recorded maximum temperatures more than 5.1 degrees Celsius above normal. Similar departures have been reported in parts of Assam and Meghalaya, Konkan and Goa, Vidarbha, Telangana and Kerala.

Hot and humid conditions are likely to cause discomfort, particularly along the Karnataka coast and in Konkan and Goa. The combination of elevated temperatures and humidity could make outdoor activities challenging.

According to the reported observations for October 13, Deesa in Gujarat recorded the country's highest maximum temperature at 39.8 degrees Celsius. Mandi in Himachal Pradesh recorded a minimum temperature of 15.2 degrees Celsius, the lowest reported among the plains stations.

Weekly water cuts, borewell ban: Maharashtra tightens restrictions amid drought

Cities across Maharashtra are introducing water restrictions from mid-October as the state faces worsening shortages following a deficient Southwest Monsoon, DTE reported. The state will impose a minimum 10% cut in water supply from October 16. Nearly 75% of Maharashtra's talukas have been declared drought-affected, prompting authorities to introduce water restrictions across several districts. Pune will suspend water supply every Thursday from October 15 to conserve reserves and help ensure availability until August 2027. Nagpur has banned the drilling of new borewells and the deepening of existing ones to protect groundwater resources. In Marathwada, drinking water has been prioritised over irrigation, with industries directed to reuse 30% of the water they consume. Medium irrigation projects in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar region hold just 21.12% of their capacity, compared with 76.23% during the same period last year, the outlet said.

Loss of diversity in grasslands could lead to 50% less CO2 uptake in India by 2050

A significant loss of global plant diversity could result in grasslands, including meadows and pastures, absorb 15% less CO₂ through photosynthesis by 2050, reported DTE citing study published in PNAS which said that in Paraguay and India, CO₂ sequestration could drop by 50% even if global warming is limited to 2 degrees Celsius.

Climate change could reduce the productivity of dominant plants but if plant diversity is maintained, other plants that cope better with climate impacts have the chance to become more prominent and stem the decline,explained Stephen Wirth, a PIK researcher and lead author of the study, the outlet said.

It’s not just about lower rates of photosynthesis. Losing plant diversity also reduces forage supply for grazing animals, which, in turn, can threaten the livelihoods of people who depend on livestock grazing. Soils also store less carbon and contribute less to limiting global warming, the study noted. 

“Agricultural policy should support farmers in adapting their farms to climate change. This can help strengthen the livelihoods of people who depend on livestock grazing, particularly in the Global South,” said Friedhelm Taube, a researcher at Kiel University and co-author of the study, in the statement.

China’s rich coastal cities to see sea-level rise up to 20% higher than global average

China’s coastal cities could see sea-level rise “up to 20%” higher than the global average, according to SCMP. Chinese scientists tell the Paper that “glacier science communication” should warn of “collapse” instead of just “retreat”.

Scientists warn that rising sea levels driven by melting Antarctic ice will be 15 to 20 per cent higher in Hong Kong and Shanghai compared with the global average, SCMP reported. They said gravitational shifts caused by shrinking Antarctic ice would redistribute water across the globe, causing higher ocean levels along China’s densely populated coastlines.“Even if we limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, Antarctica still has a 92% chance of losing mass this century,” said lead author Lin Yucheng, an assistant professor at City University of Hong Kong’s school of energy and environment. “Without effective adaptation and coastal protection, which is very costly, large numbers of people may eventually need to relocate,” the climate scientist said.

Urban heat risk is increasing five times faster in the global south than the global north 

Urban heat is rising globally but hits the global south 5 times more than global north. Communications Earth & Environment reported the new study which quantified systematic bias in existing global heat risk assessments, providing a foundation for advancing climate justice in a rapidly warming world. 

The study conducted risk assessment across 1,029 global cities during 2000–2019 by introducing a multidimensional social vulnerability index. Results showed urban heat risk is rising worldwide, with the upward trend in the Global South nearly five-fold that in the Global North. 

Scientists showed that the traditional homogeneous assumption leads to a nearly 65% underestimation of North-South inequality in long-term heat risk. The study said the intraregional inequality measured by the Gini index is larger within the Global North and is underestimated by nearly 15% under the homogeneous assumption.