Year Ender 2025 highlights major natural disasters worldwide, from earthquakes and cyclones to floods and volcanic eruptions, affecting millions globally.
Global communities grapple with earthquakes, floods, cyclones and volcanic eruptions as 2025 ends with devastating natural disasters (Photo: File)
Year Ender 2025: Communities from the Himalayas to the Indian Ocean saw earthquakes, heatwaves, floods, volcanic eruptions and strong storms. These were the shocks which unveiled the brittleness of infrastructure, exposure of society, widespread economic and human effect of extreme natural events.
This year started off with a powerful quake hitting Tingri Country, Tibet on January 7 jolting at the Magnitude of 7.1 Richter scale. It was claimed for at least 126 deaths and injured close to 200. The whole villages were destroyed in sub-freezing winter temperature leaving tens of thousands homeless.
The Rescue efforts were hampered by the rugged terrain and freezing condition in the area. Tremors from the quake could be felt as far away as Nepal, Bhutan and northern India, underscoring the seismic danger of the Himalayan region where tectonic plates collide.
In the beginning of 2025, India was struck by an extended heat wave with temperatures surpassing their seasonal norms by 7–9°C. People in the states Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Rajasthan were among those who experienced temperature as high as 46.1 °C (115.0 °F) with thousands of people suffering from heatstroke.
Government figures gave 14 confirmed deaths, although independent estimates put the number of those killed much higher. The heatwave laid bare systemic weaknesses, particularly for outdoor workers, the elderly and children, while highlighting the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events in the subcontinent.
On March 28, central Myanmar experienced a magnitude 7.7 earthquake near Mandalay and more than 3,600 people died with over 5,000 were injured. Homes, bridges and heritage structures were destroyed and leaving entire communities displaced.
Satellite imagery revealed widespread urban devastation and relief efforts were hampered by difficult terrain and ongoing regional conflicts. Neighbouring countries also reported tremors emphasizing the area’s seismic volatility.
In Punjab, excessive rainfall caused rivers like the Sutlej and Ravi to overflow killing at least 57 people and affecting over 2 million residents. Uttarakhand saw flash floods and debris flows burying towns, while Himachal Pradesh experienced landslides and cloudbursts that claimed hundreds of lives.
Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan and Haryana faced severe water logging, displacing thousands and damaging infrastructure, farmland and homes.
Hurricane Melissa struck the Caribbean in late October as a Category 5 storm affecting Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba and the Bahamas where over 45 death were reported in Jamaica alone and tens of thousands of people were displaced.
Winds reached nearly 300 kmph, flattening communities and destroying critical infrastructure. The Floodwaters triggered health crises including a leptospirosis outbreak which highlighted the compounded risks of tropical cyclones.
Sumatra faced relentless monsoon rains in late November, triggering floods and landslides that killed over 1,000 people and displaced more than 1.2 million. Roads and communications collapsed, complicating rescue operations, thousands of homes and farms were destroyed, leaving survivors in overcrowded shelters.
The disaster highlighted the vulnerability of densely populated, low-lying regions to extreme rainfall events and landslide risks.
In November, Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano erupted for the first time in nearly 12,000 years, sending ash 14 km into the atmosphere. Villages in the Afar region were blanketed in ash, affecting the health, livestock and livelihoods of the people living there.
High-altitude ash clouds disrupted air traffic as far away as India, forcing widespread flight cancellations and precautionary measures, demonstrating how volcanic activity can have far-reaching regional impacts.
Cyclone Ditwah struck Sri Lanka and parts of southern India between late November and December. Torrential rain, landslides and flooding killed over 643 people in Sri Lanka and displaced millions. The cyclone’s impact on agriculture, infrastructure and housing was massive with estimated damages exceeding $4 billion which is approximately 4% of Sri Lanka’s GDP.
Southern Indian states including Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh also experienced severe flooding, highlighting the cross-border nature of such extreme weather events.
