Twenty persons have died as a result of lightning strikes in only one day in eight Indian regions.
Thunderstorms struck the state of Bihar in eastern India, and more are expected today and tomorrow in the state’s northern regions.
Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of the state, has urged citizens to heed emergency management officials’ recommendations.
Thunderstorms during the beginning of the monsoon season, which provide relief from the summer heat across the northern Indian plains, claim the lives of hundreds of people every year in India.
According to statistics provided by the television network Al Jazeera, about 3,000 individuals were killed by lightning strikes in 2019.
The BBC reported that in just 13 hours the previous year, the southern state of Andhra Pradesh recorded an incredible 36,749 lightning strikes.
According to the Times of India, Mr. Kumar has said that 400,000 rupees (£4,154) will be paid as compensation to the families of those who passed away.
The installation of lightning arresters, which prevent lightning from striking something and instead direct the power into the earth where it dissipates harmlessly, has also been ordered by the governor.
According to the Climate Resilient Observing Systems Promotion Council, the number of lightning strikes in India is significantly rising.
Between April 2020 and March 2021, the nation recorded more than 18 million lightning strikes.