Kolkata's heaviest rainfall in 40 years linked to climate change
Kolkata just saw its rainiest day in nearly 40 years, with 251.4mm pouring down between September 22 and 23, 2025.
Sadly, 10 people lost their lives, nine of them due to electrocution, during the floods.
The downpour—triggered by a Bay of Bengal low-pressure system—was so intense it nearly hit cloudburst levels.
Climate change and urban planning
This was Kolkata's sixth-heaviest rainfall since records began in the late 1800s, and experts say it's tied to the Indian Ocean warming up fast.
Warmer seas are making storms stronger and monsoon cycles more unpredictable.
As Dr. Roxy Mathew Koll points out, rising sea temperatures mean heavier rains and fiercer cyclones.
The city's flooding highlights why urban areas need better drainage, flood control, and early warning systems to deal with climate extremes going forward.