Bad weather has killed at least 36 people in northern India in the past 24 hours, including 12 who were struck by lightning, authorities announced, warning of more heavy rain in the coming days.
In Uttar Pradesh state, at least 24 people have died after houses collapsed in torrential rain, relief services commissioner Ranvir Prasad said.
Mohamed Usman, 15, was on a friend’s roof in the town of Prayagraj when lightning struck him on Friday night, killing him instantly.
The friend, Aznan, was injured and is being treated at a hospital.
“As soon as they set foot on the roof, they were struck by lightning and my son died,” said Mohammad Ayub, Usman’s father.
Officials said 39 people had died in the state from lightning strikes in the past five days, prompting them to issue new guidance for people to protect themselves during a storm.
Lightning is common during India’s monsoon season, with rain from June to September.
Colonel Sanjay Srivastava, whose organization, Lightning Resilient India Campaign, works with the India Meteorological Department, said deforestation, depleted waterways and pollution contribute to climate change, leading to more thunderstorms.
Global warming has also increased the frequency of thunderstorms, said Sunita Narain, director general of the Center for Science and the Environment.
A one degree rise in temperature increases the number of lightning strikes 12 times.
Last year, there was a 34% increase in the number of lightning strikes in India, which also increased fatalities.
India recorded 1,489 lightning-associated deaths in 2016 and the number rose to 2,869 last year, according to Srivastava.
Source: Observadora
