New Delhi, May 22 -- If 2025 was a bad year for Ladakh, August was a catastrophic month-a combination of climate change and a rare weather phenomenon resulted in a deluge. The merging of western disturbances from the Mediterranean and the Indian monsoon resulted in 80.2mm of rain in Ladakh through the month, leading to flash floods, soil erosion and widespread damage to infrastructure, like bridges.

Flights in and out of Leh faced prolonged disruptions through the month, with regions cut off for days on end. For context, Ladakh, which falls in the rain shadow of the main Himalayan Range, has an arid climate and next to no summer precipitation, with the mean average rainfall for August being a mere 4.8mm. The rain last year was about 20 t...