# Where can I get free climate hazard data for a factory location in India?

Canonical: https://senseible.earth/answers/free-climate-hazard-data-india-factory

Start with IMD for heat, rain, cyclones and drought, NRSC's Bhuvan for flood hazard maps, India-WRIS and the Central Water Commission for river and groundwater data, and BMTPC's Vulnerability Atlas for earthquake, wind and flood zones. For future projections use the IPCC AR6 Interactive Atlas and WRI Aqueduct. All are free to view.

## Sources by hazard

- Heat and rainfall: India Meteorological Department (IMD) gridded daily rainfall and temperature data, and its Climate Hazards and Vulnerability Atlas of India, a web atlas of district maps for 13 hazards including heat waves, cold waves, floods, cyclones, drought and lightning.
- Floods: NRSC flood hazard atlases for flood-prone states such as Assam and Odisha, viewable on Bhuvan; Central Water Commission flood forecasts and river levels.
- Water stress and groundwater: India-WRIS for river basins, reservoirs and groundwater levels; WRI Aqueduct for water stress and drought risk scores.
- Earthquake, wind and cyclone: BMTPC Vulnerability Atlas of India (third edition, 2019), with state maps of earthquake, wind and flood zones, maps for cyclones, thunderstorms and landslides, and district tables of housing risk.
- Future change: IPCC AR6 Working Group I Interactive Atlas for projected heat and rainfall extremes under different warming levels.

## Match the data to the question

Historical data tells you what has happened at or near the site: past floods, heat wave days, cyclone tracks. Projections tell you how those may change over the life of a loan or building. A lender usually wants both: a record of past events and one projection, with the scenario named.

## Know the limits

- District atlases describe a whole district; a plot on high ground can be safe in a flood-prone district.
- Global models such as Aqueduct work at coarse resolution and may miss local drains and embankments.
- Projections depend on the scenario or warming level chosen; state which one you used.
- Check each portal's terms before you put its maps in a report you share.

## How to record what you found

1. Note the latitude and longitude of the site.
2. For each hazard, write the dataset name, version or year, and the date you looked.
3. Save a screenshot of each map with the site marked.
4. Give each hazard a simple rating, low, medium or high, with one line of reason.

## What Senseible does here

Senseible turns fuel and electricity invoices into Scope 1 and 2 figures for the transition side of a climate risk review, and its climate risk page frames the physical risk questions lenders ask. File the dataset names, dates and screenshots you collect here with those records.

- [Climate risk assessment for a small business](https://senseible.earth/answers/climate-risk-assessment-for-small-business)
- [Checking flood risk for a factory site](https://senseible.earth/answers/check-flood-risk-for-factory-site-india)
- [Heat stress and lost hours](https://senseible.earth/answers/heat-stress-factory-productivity-loss-india)
- [Water stress at a supplier location](https://senseible.earth/answers/check-water-stress-at-supplier-location-india)

Sources: [IPCC AR6 Working Group I, including the Interactive Atlas](https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/)

Last reviewed 2026-10-16.