80 people dead in Assam floods; scientists blame heavy rain, mining, silt and forest loss for worsening disaster

At least 80 people have died in floods across Assam, with the toll continuing to climb. Seven districts remain severely affected, with over 3,00,000 people across 622 villages impacted and over 45,000 hectares of crop area submerged, The Indian Express reported.

The deaths have come over the past four weeks, including 58 in the past week alone. “On 21 July alone, 21 people died in 24 hours, most swept away or drowned in floodwaters. Others were killed in landslides and house collapses,” a BBC report said, adding that some survivors had to spend the night on top of trees. 

A scientist at the Meteorological Centre Kohima told The Indian Express that the area had not experienced a cloudburst — which the India Meteorological Department defines as rainfall exceeding 100 mm within one hour — but rather heavy rainfall of 137 mm over the course of eight to nine hours on that day. This had also triggered multiple landslides on Mon, leaving nine people dead.

The government said water levels rose at ‘unprecedented speed’. Scientists attributed the disaster to “a mix of rainfall and anthropogenic factors,” the newspaper said. One contributing factor, they said, was excessive excavation along river valleys that increased siltation and reduced river carrying capacity.

 “Where there are heavily forested areas, when there is heavy rainfall, it increases what we call ‘infiltration opportunity time’, which means that it enables time for the water to infiltrate and percolate the ground. But if the ground is barren, the water doesn’t have enough time to percolate and it moves downhill very fast and carries a lot of silt. Which is what we’re seeing, with a rapid loss of forest cover. This excess silt then raises the river bed and reduces carrying capacity,” scientists told The Indian Express.

The Indian government told Parliament that more than 10 million hectares of agricultural area have been affected by hydro-meteorological disasters in 2026, DTE reported.

40 killed in Gujarat floods; factories shut, hundreds rescued from industrial park and Amazon warehouse

Nearly 40 people were killed in heavy rain and flooding across Gujarat. In Navsari and Valsad districts, 33 dead bodies were recovered, The Indian Express reported. 

Tata Motors’ Sanand plant, which manufactures the Tiago, Nexon and Sierra, suspended operations for two days after flooding, Reuters reported.  Police rescued 900 workers from the Gallops Industrial Park in Bavla, near Sanand, while more than 80 workers were rescued from an Amazon warehouse in Bagodra taluka by the Army. Textile units in Surat remained submerged in water, The Indian Express report said. 

Lokmat Times attributed flooding in urban areas of Vapi and Surat to extreme rainfall, about 1100 mm in 16 hours, but also to rapid construction, reduced natural drainage and encroachment on water channels.

Landslides and flash floods kill 27 in J&K; Himachal warns residents and tourists to avoid travel

The death toll linked to heavy rains and landslides across Jammu and Kashmir has risen to 27, with seven members of a family killed in a landslide in Poonch district. Rajouri and Poonch are among the worst-hit districts. Authorities have suspended the Amarnath Yatra from both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes as the meteorological department warned of more rain, flash floods, landslides, mudslides and rising river levels in vulnerable areas, Down To Earth reported. 

Neighbouring Himachal Pradesh has also urged residents and tourists to avoid travel as cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides continue to batter the state. The government said nine cloudbursts, 19 flash floods and four major cloudburst-hit locations have been reported this monsoon, leaving 120 roads blocked and disrupting several drinking water supply schemes, according to ANI.

Rising sugarcane production result of improved yield, not expansion in cultivation area: Study 

In India’s Deccan Plateau, sugarcane is becoming more productive but also more vulnerable to climate variability, reported Mongabay India. The 22-year-long study found that production gains were a result of higher yields, and not an increase in cultivation area. On the other hand, the crop is at the centre of mounting concerns over water use, particularly in semi-arid regions, facing recurrent droughts and groundwater stress.

“We noticed that sugarcane cultivation in Maharashtra and Karnataka was increasingly being affected by climatic variability,” one of the report’s authors told Mongabay. 

The researchers found that yield was generally more stable compared to cultivation area or total production. Area under sugarcane fluctuated more sharply across districts, which may reflect changing water availability and irrigation conditions. 

The report found that improved crop traits, fertiliser use and better field management practices may have also contributed to these gains.“The evidence supports that climate-smart agriculture practices, efficient irrigation systems, and drought contingency measures will matter more and more,” researchers told the outlet.

Jharkhand paddy farmers stare at drought; govt pushes shift to millets  

As Jharkhand stares at a rain deficit of over 40%, with some districts facing 79%, concerns arise over the kharif crop’s yield. The sowing season was delayed by over 20 days this year due to the El Niño-induced drought, and is likely to have a long-term impact, reported Mongabay India. 

The outlet noted that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast below-normal rainfall for this year. As per the US National Weather Service, a very strong El Niño is predicted between October and December — potentially the strongest El Niño event on record, which scientists said will impede the monsoon.

Between June 1 and July 14, the eastern state received around 193 mm of rainfall, compared to its historical average of  321 mm during this period. Rainfall deficits exceeded 40% in 13 of Jharkhand's 24 districts, according to the report.

Crop failures often force farmers to migrate in search of work, leaving women and older family members vulnerable to debt. To counter this, the state government is encouraging farmers to shift to millets through financial assistance, but researchers said long-term planning based on climate data is needed for this to succeed.

Wildfires may get worse as France and Spain brace for more heatwaves 

France and Spain are expected to face more heatwaves that can worsen the wildfires raging across both countries. Nearly 4,000 people have been evacuated from France’s Atlantic coast as strong winds and extreme heat hampered firefighting efforts, reported The Guardian. 

Parts of Europe can see temperatures touch 40°C, with more heatwaves forecast, reported The Financial Times. Three successive heatwaves have dried out vegetation, making it easier for blazes to start and spread. Scientists said climate change has worsened these conditions, according to the business outlet.

At least two pyrocumulonimbus — fire thunderstorms generated by wildfires or volcanoes — developed in France in the past days.

Euractiv reported that 122,000 hectares of forest land, across France and Spain, were charred by the fires “raging out of control”. The Guardian reported that “EU officials have said wildfires could still be burning until early November in what threatens to be a record-breaking year for the area of land burned.” 

France recorded 5,764 excess deaths above the normal rate during a record-breaking heatwave from June 17 to July 2, reported France24. This is the highest excess mortality rate recorded during a heatwave in France since 2003, when 15,000 people died under similar conditions of high temperatures.

France’s national public health body recorded over 21,500 deaths from all causes, according to the Associated Press. This figure is nearly 6,000 higher than the expected numbers. According to Reuters, there was a 36% excess mortality rate during the period, with people over 75 representing about two-thirds of the excess mortality.