Lightning kills 28 in Bihar, UP as northern India experiences sultry weather

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New Delhi: At least 28 people were killed in separate incidents of a lightning strike in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday as rains lashed several parts of the country while most places in northern India experienced sultry and dry weather.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), most parts of the country are likely to get rainfall over the next three to four days and there will be no significant change in the maximum and minimum temperatures.

In the national capital, lack of rain will likely push the mercury further up over the next two days, the weather department said.

There has been no rain in the city for the past five days.

According to the India Meteorological Department, the maximum temperature will likely touch the 38-degrees Celsius mark over the next two days amid lack of rain. It, however, forecast light rainfall on the weekend.

There have been 75 per cent less rainfall in September in the city so far, according to the Met department data.

In Bihar, 15 people died in six districts after being struck by lightning.

Gopalganj, Bhojpur and Rohtas districts reported three deaths each, while two deaths each were reported from Saran, Kaimur and Vaishali, officials said.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced that the next of kin of those killed would be given Rs 4 lakh each as ex-gratia amount.

Meanwhile, light to moderate rain occurred at isolated places in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday even as at least 13 people were killed due to lightning strike at different places.

Four people died in Ghazipur, three in Kaushambi, two each in Kushinagar and Chitrakoot, one each in Jaunpur and Chandauli, Relief commissioner Sanjay Goel said in a statement.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed the concerned District Magistrates to provide Rs 4 lakh financial assistance to family members of those killed, he said.

Goel also said that due to floods, 28 villages of Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur and Azamgarh are affected.

Thunderstorm accompanied by lightning is very likely at isolated places over eastern Uttar Pradesh, while the weather is most likely to remain dry over the western part of the state on Wednesday.

Light thunderstorm accompanied by lightning is very likely at isolated places over the state on September 17 and 18, the Met Office said.

In Haryana and Punjab, sultry weather conditions persisted with the maximum temperatures hovering two to four notches above the normal limits.

Bhiwani in Haryana was the hottest place in the state recording a maximum of 38 degrees Celsius, up two degrees against normal limits while Hisar too experienced sultry weather recording a high of 37.8 degrees Celsius and Ambala recording a maximum temperature of 35.2 degrees Celsius.

Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a high of 35.1 degrees Celsius.

In Punjab, Patiala recorded a high of 36.7 degrees Celsius, four notches above normal limits while Amritsar and Ludhiana also recorded above normal maximum temperatures of 35.8 degrees Celsius and 35.8 degrees Celsius.

According to the Met department forecast, mainly dry weather is likely to prevail in most places in Haryana and Punjab over the next two days.

Rain/thundershowers were recorded in several parts of the country including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Gujarat, Goa, Maharashtra.

Few places in Odisha, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and isolated places in Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh too received rain. Rain also occurred at isolated places over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan leading to sultry weather while rest of northwest India remained dry.

The IMD forecast said widespread rainfall with isolated heavy falls very likely over Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Kerala during the next three to four days.

Isolated heavy to very heavy falls are very likely over coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Marathwada and North Interior Karnataka on September 15 and over Madhya Maharashtra on September 16, it said.

Under the influence of strengthening of lower-level winds, rainfall activity over Maharashtra and south Peninsular India is likely to increase from September 18 while moderate thunderstorm with lightning is very likely at isolated places over eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, west Madhya Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh during the next 12 hours.

Meanwhile, the maximum temperatures settled around three to five notches above normal at many places over east Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal; at a few places over Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and West Madhya Pradesh and at isolated places over east Uttar Pradesh and Odisha, the IMD said.