At least 100 people have been killed in the past 24 hours across three northern Indian states due to intense thunderstorms and lightning strikes, according to local authorities, as rainfall brings some relief to the searing heatwave.
The deadliest toll was reported from the state of Bihar, where 82 people died. Earlier, 20 deaths were reported in just one district. Uttar Pradesh, another northern state, 18 people died due to lightning.
One farmer died in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, officials said.
In neighbouring Nepal, lightning strikes and heavy rain killed at least eight people, National Disaster Authority officials said.
Most of the victims were caught outdoors during the storms, despite prior warnings issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). At least a dozen states were under a yellow alert warning for thunderstorms. However, dissemination of information and response challenges remain a concern in India, particularly in rural areas.
In the Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh, police said several people were working in agricultural fields when the storm hit. Local media reports said there were injuries and property damage in some areas.
Authorities are urging residents to stay indoors and follow advisories as more storms are expected this week. Chief ministers of UP and Bihar have announced 4 lakh rupees in compensation for the victims.
The rainy weather has also come as a relief to northern India as temperatures across region are likely to dip by 3–5 degree Celsius over the next three days. However, IMD said the temperatures will rise again.
More heavy rain and storms are forecast in parts of Bihar on Friday and Saturday, including in districts like Madhubani, Darbhanga, East and West Champaran, Gaya, Supaul, Sitamarhi, Patna, and others.
Lightning has become the deadliest natural hazard in India, accounting for nearly 36 per cent of weather-related deaths, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. Between 1967 and 2020, more than 101,000 people have died due to lightning strikes. The frequency of these events and the death toll, has increased in the past decade, with the climate crisis making rainfall more erratic, scientists say.
This rise is also being driven by deforestation and greater exposure as more people work outdoors. A recent study by India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences found that lightning activity in the country increased by over 30 per cent between 2020 and 2022.
"Warmer air holds more moisture and increases the energy available for storms. With more intense heating of land surfaces, we're seeing stronger convection and cloud buildup, which can lead to more lightning," Mahesh Palawat, vice president of meteorology at Skymet Weather, told The Independent in an earlier interview.
India has launched awareness campaigns like the Lightning Resilient India initiative and mobile apps such as Damini, which gives real-time lightning alerts. However, access to these tools is still limited in remote areas where fatal strikes are more common.
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