Cold Wave Deaths in India: Analysing the Patterns from 2009–2023
TL;DR India is witnessing an early and intense cold wave this November, with temperatures falling 3–5°C below normal across several states. Long-term data show that the number of cold wave days has increased in regions like Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi, and Odisha. Between 2009 and 2023, over 2,500 people lost their lives to cold waves, and another 800 deaths were recorded annually due to exposure to cold, underscoring how deadly yet overlooked these events remain.
Context: India is witnessing an early and intense cold wave this November, with temperatures dipping 3 to 5°C below normal across several regions. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings for central and western states such as Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and parts of Maharashtra and Telangana, where minimum temperatures have fallen to single digits. In Delhi, the mercury dropped to around 9°C, its coldest November night in three years, while northern and eastern parts are also experiencing chilly winds and dense morning fog. In this backdrop, we look at the data on cold wave days and the deaths caused by them in India.
Who compiles this data?
Data on the average number of cold wave days is collected by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. This information is published in the Envistats report by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
Data on deaths caused by cold waves is compiled by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, while deaths due to exposure to cold are reported by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
Where can I download clean & structured data related to Cold Waves & related Deaths?
Clean, structured, and ready-to-use datasets on Year, State-wise Average Number of Cold and Heat Wave days can be downloaded from Dataful. The dataset on Year-wise Casualties/Deaths due to Disastrous Weather Events and Year and State-wise Number of Deaths due to Natural Calamities is also available on Dataful.
Key Insights
- A comparison between 2012 to 2017, and 2018 to 2024, indicates that three regions showed the most significant increase in the number of cold wave days reported. These are Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi, and Odisha.
- Despite being the state with the greatest number of cold wave days, Haryana showed a clear decrease in cold wave days reported between the two periods considered.
- As expected and due to geography, Southern states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu consistently report zero cold wave days.
- As per data from Envistats, a total of 2,580 people lost their lives to cold waves in the 15 years from 2009 to 2023, which translates to 172 deaths every year. Deaths due to cold waves accounted for 6% of the deaths due to extreme weather events during this period.
- According to NCRB, which records data on deaths due to ‘Exposure to Cold’, an average of 824 people died annually between 2009 and 2023. About 4 in 5 of these victims were males.
- Out of the total 7,887 deaths reported in the last 10 years, about 62% of the deaths in this category were reported from 3 states- Bihar, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh.
Why Does It Matter?
Cold waves may not cause visible destruction like other extreme weather events, like floods or cyclones. But, like heatwaves, they silently claim hundreds of lives every year, hitting the poor, elderly, and homeless the hardest. As their frequency and intensity shift across regions, tracking these patterns is vital to strengthening early warnings, public health responses, and climate preparedness efforts.
Key numbers
- Cold Wave Deaths – 2,580 deaths (2009–2023) → 172/yr, 6% of all extreme weather deaths
- As per NCRB, 824 deaths/year from exposure to exposure; 80% men, and 62% of deaths in Bihar, Punjab, UP
- Cold wave days ↑ in J&K, Delhi, Odisha (2018–24 vs 2012–17)