Lightning blamed for more than 30 deaths in India
By
Mary Gilbert, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Jul 14, 2021 4:57 PM EDT
Onlookers can be heard shouting as a white car gets caught up in the flash flood, slamming into other parked vehicles following heavy rainfall in Bhagsu Nag, Dharamshala, India, on July 12.
More than three dozen lightning fatalities were recorded in a span of 24 hours across India on Sunday as the country's monsoon season continues to ramp up.
Nearly a dozen of Sunday's deaths occurred in one location within the state of Rajasthan, located in northwestern India. Eleven people were killed and several more were injured when lightning struck near a watchtower at Amber Fort, a popular tourist attraction in Jaipur, according to The Associated Press.
State Disaster Response personnel perform a search operation at a watchtower of the 12th century Amber Fort where 11 people were killed Sunday after being struck by lightning in Jaipur, Rajasthan state, India, Monday, July 12, 2021. (AP Photo/ Vishal Bhatnagar)
Nine additional people were killed in separate lightning strikes in Rajasthan on Sunday, bringing the state's total to at least 20 deaths.
In the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh, at least 18 people were killed by lightning on Sunday. Many of those who lost their lives in the state were working as farm laborers in open, unprotected fields, the AP reported.
At least 38 people in total were killed across India as monsoonal rain and thunderstorms hammered portions of the country, according to the AP.
A man stands on a road divider at a flooded street during monsoon rains Jammu, India, Monday, July 12, 2021. India’s monsoon season runs from June to September. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)
AccuWeather forecasters say on average, India's southwest monsoon gradually spreads from southeast to northwest across India throughout the month of June and into early July.
The monsoon season typically lasts from June to September and delivers most of India's annual precipitation.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
"Some locations, like Mumbai, average as much as 87 inches (2,200 mm) of rainfall," AccuWeather Meteorologist Maura Kelly said.
The frequency of lightning strikes is often elevated during India's monsoon season.
"Monsoonal storms can result in an impressive amount of lighting," AccuWeather Meteorologist Alyssa Smithmyer said.
From April 2020 through March 2021, over 18.5 million lightning strikes were recorded across the country and nearly 1,700 people were killed by lightning, according to information gathered by India's annual lightning report.
While the number of lightning fatalities remained high, the overall trend in deaths for 2020-2021 was down from the previous year. During the period from April 2019 to March 2020, more than 2,900 people were killed by lightning.
A monsoon stormy evening in India with loud thunder and lightning. (iStock / Getty Images Plus/Azharudeen K S)
In addition to frequent lightning strikes, monsoonal thunderstorms can produce flash flooding, mudslides and travel disruptions.
"Not only can these storms damage property, they can also be hazardous to health," Smithmyer added.
Torrential, monsoonal downpours can often lead to significant flooding issues. People, vehicles and even buildings can be swept away when streets turn into raging rivers.
Heavy rainfall triggered flash flooding across portions of several Indian states on Sunday. In northern India's Himachal Pradesh, cars were washed away as flooding pounded a residential area.
On Monday, persistent heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh loosened soil and rocks and gave way to a landslide that rendered a roadway impassable, according to Asian News International.
In June, heavy rainfall in Mumbai was blamed for the collapse of a building that left at least 12 people dead.
AccuWeather forecasters say heavy rainfall and thunderstorms will persist across portions of India through the end of the week. The heaviest downpours are likely to occur over portions of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
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News / Severe Weather
Lightning blamed for more than 30 deaths in India
By Mary Gilbert, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Jul 14, 2021 4:57 PM EDT
Onlookers can be heard shouting as a white car gets caught up in the flash flood, slamming into other parked vehicles following heavy rainfall in Bhagsu Nag, Dharamshala, India, on July 12.
More than three dozen lightning fatalities were recorded in a span of 24 hours across India on Sunday as the country's monsoon season continues to ramp up.
Nearly a dozen of Sunday's deaths occurred in one location within the state of Rajasthan, located in northwestern India. Eleven people were killed and several more were injured when lightning struck near a watchtower at Amber Fort, a popular tourist attraction in Jaipur, according to The Associated Press.
State Disaster Response personnel perform a search operation at a watchtower of the 12th century Amber Fort where 11 people were killed Sunday after being struck by lightning in Jaipur, Rajasthan state, India, Monday, July 12, 2021. (AP Photo/ Vishal Bhatnagar)
Nine additional people were killed in separate lightning strikes in Rajasthan on Sunday, bringing the state's total to at least 20 deaths.
In the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh, at least 18 people were killed by lightning on Sunday. Many of those who lost their lives in the state were working as farm laborers in open, unprotected fields, the AP reported.
At least 38 people in total were killed across India as monsoonal rain and thunderstorms hammered portions of the country, according to the AP.
A man stands on a road divider at a flooded street during monsoon rains Jammu, India, Monday, July 12, 2021. India’s monsoon season runs from June to September. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)
AccuWeather forecasters say on average, India's southwest monsoon gradually spreads from southeast to northwest across India throughout the month of June and into early July.
The monsoon season typically lasts from June to September and delivers most of India's annual precipitation.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
"Some locations, like Mumbai, average as much as 87 inches (2,200 mm) of rainfall," AccuWeather Meteorologist Maura Kelly said.
The frequency of lightning strikes is often elevated during India's monsoon season.
"Monsoonal storms can result in an impressive amount of lighting," AccuWeather Meteorologist Alyssa Smithmyer said.
From April 2020 through March 2021, over 18.5 million lightning strikes were recorded across the country and nearly 1,700 people were killed by lightning, according to information gathered by India's annual lightning report.
While the number of lightning fatalities remained high, the overall trend in deaths for 2020-2021 was down from the previous year. During the period from April 2019 to March 2020, more than 2,900 people were killed by lightning.
A monsoon stormy evening in India with loud thunder and lightning. (iStock / Getty Images Plus/Azharudeen K S)
In addition to frequent lightning strikes, monsoonal thunderstorms can produce flash flooding, mudslides and travel disruptions.
"Not only can these storms damage property, they can also be hazardous to health," Smithmyer added.
Torrential, monsoonal downpours can often lead to significant flooding issues. People, vehicles and even buildings can be swept away when streets turn into raging rivers.
Heavy rainfall triggered flash flooding across portions of several Indian states on Sunday. In northern India's Himachal Pradesh, cars were washed away as flooding pounded a residential area.
On Monday, persistent heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh loosened soil and rocks and gave way to a landslide that rendered a roadway impassable, according to Asian News International.
In June, heavy rainfall in Mumbai was blamed for the collapse of a building that left at least 12 people dead.
AccuWeather forecasters say heavy rainfall and thunderstorms will persist across portions of India through the end of the week. The heaviest downpours are likely to occur over portions of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
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Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
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