The year 2023 in India was marked by record-breaking heat and extreme weather events, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). It was the second warmest year on record since 1901, with an average land surface air temperature of 0.65 degrees Celsius above the long term average. The IMD reported that lightning and thunderstorms were responsible for over 50% of the 2,376 human casualties caused by extreme weather events in the country. Globally, 2023 was the warmest year ever recorded, with the global mean temperature reaching 1.40 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level. The IMD attributed the high temperatures to El Nino conditions and warned of further heat in 2024. Madhya Pradesh reported the highest number of casualties, followed by Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.