In western India, a hailstorm and lightning storm claimed 24 lives

 In western India, a hailstorm and lightning storm claimed 24 lives

Authorities in India said that lightning, torrential rain, and hailstorms had killed at least 24 people.

In western Gujarat state, the weather killed cattle and damaged buildings.

According to meteorologists, storms seldom visit Gujarat in the winter, thus many residents are concerned about the heavy rainfall.

Each year, lightning strikes and unexpected floods claim hundreds of lives in India. Scientists are alerting us to the fact that more severe weather occurrences are occurring as a result of increasing global temperatures.

The air above is heated by rising land and sea surface temperatures, which gives storms additional energy and cause lightning to strike.

In western India, there's a chance that Monday may bring more rain and hail.

In a statement released late on Sunday, authorities said that at least 18 of the 24 victims of lightning strikes had passed away.

According to state government statistics cited by the Reuters news agency, Gujarat state was slammed by torrential rain, thunderstorms, and hail on Sunday and Monday. Some places received as much as 144 mm (5.7 inches) of rain in a single day.

The Indian Metrological Department's chief in Ahmedabad, Manorama Mohanty, said that three meteorological systems colliding was the reason for the lightning strike in Gujarat.

"These are easterly winds flowing from the Arabian Sea, western disturbances over the western Himalayas or cyclonic circulation over south Gujarat," Ms. Mohanty told the BBC in Gujarati.

The fatalities "deeply saddened" India's Home Minister Amit Shah, who also said that local officials were working on relief measures.

Thousands of individuals in India died as a result of an unexpected shock.

Yogesh Patel, a 42-year-old farmer, was killed in his field by lightning striking a tree that he was sheltering behind because of persistent rain.

A close friend of the family, Shantilal Patel, informed the BBC that Mr. Patel was survived by his wife and three children.

"He was struck by lightning while standing beneath a tree in his field," he said. When we first saw his corpse, it seemed like the cell phone he had in his shirt's left pocket had burst from the lightning strike, instantly taking his life."Went."

Over 100,000 Indian deaths were attributed to lightning between 1967 and 2019, according to government statistics. This accounts for almost one-third of the fatalities brought on by natural disasters during this time.

Although the number of lightning events in the nation is rising, the number of recorded fatalities has decreased recently as a result of enhanced forecasting and early warning systems by the government.

A research conducted by the non-profit Climate Resilient Observing Systems Promotion Council shows that between April 2020 and March 2021, over 18 million lightning occurrences were reported in India. When compared to the same time previous year, there had been a 34% rise.