KABUL — Severe weather that struck Afghanistan over the past four days has killed 28 people and injured 49 others, according to the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA). Storms and heavy rainfall across several provinces led to flooding, landslides and lightning strikes, the authority reported.
The extreme weather destroyed 130 homes and damaged an additional 436 homes, according to ANDMA. The storms also killed more than 240 animals and wiped out 93 kilometers of roads throughout the country.
A total of 1,130 families have been affected by the severe weather, according to the authority. The storms destroyed irrigation canals and agricultural land in the affected provinces.
Afghanistan experiences extreme weather events, including snow and heavy rain that trigger flash floods, which often kill dozens or even hundreds of people at a time. Earlier this year, heavy snowfall and flash floods left dozens of people dead.
In 2024, more than 300 people died in springtime flash floods across the country. Dozens of people have died from extreme weather in Afghanistan so far this year.
Decades of conflict, poor infrastructure, a struggling economy, deforestation, and the intensifying effects of climate change have amplified the impact of extreme weather disasters in Afghanistan, particularly in remote areas where many homes are built of mud and offer limited protection against sudden deluges or heavy snowfall.