Extreme weather events caused over 100 deaths in Andhra Pradesh in 2025

VISAKHAPATNAM: Extreme weather events caused over 100 deaths in Andhra Pradesh in 2025 – one of the wet years, with lightning and thunderstorms taking the highest number of lives followed by floods and heavy rains. Lightning and thunderstorms claimed 86 lives in the state in 2025, around 62 per cent increase when compared with 53 deaths in 2024. Srikakulam district in the state recorded the highest number of lightning deaths in 2025. As per the AP State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA), Srikakulam district recorded 12 lightning deaths, followed by 11 deaths in Vizianagaram district, 8 deaths in Tirupati, seven deaths each in Guntur and Kurnool districts. Blame it on heavy rains in a span of a few hours or call it nature’s fury, parts of the coastal Andhra Pradesh (CAP) as well as Rayalaseema regions in the state witnessed flood like situations between July and November in 2025 and claimed 18 lives. Few parts of the state experienced heavy rains due to cyclone Montha in October-2025 and it has claimed three lives. Both Rayalaseema and CAP regions in the state didn’t record heat wave days in the summer between March 1 and May 31 in 2025. Although temperatures reached 42–44 degrees Celsius in some areas of Rayalaseema and CAP during the summer, they caused no heat waves. The IMD stated that the state has recorded 96 per cent of excess rainfall during the pre-monsoon season (March to May) in 2025.Andhra Pradesh recorded 21 heat wave days in 2023 and 27 heatwave days in 2024. AP had experienced the highest number of heatwave days in south India in 2024 as per the IMD. The state has witnessed just four deaths (three deaths in 2023 and one death in 2024) due to heat stroke. The state hasn’t recorded any such deaths in 2025. Andhra Pradesh received 530.9 mm of rainfall between June 1 and September 30, in 2025 which was around two per cent excess than its normal share of 521.6 mm during the period. Overall, normal rainfall recorded during the 2025- monsoon period in the state has a positive impact on both agriculture and water resources.