The killer bolt: Lightning strikes now India's deadliest weather hazard

Lightning, a sudden discharge of electricity during thunderstorms, requires four conditions: intense heating, high humidity, atmospheric instability, and a trigger such as low pressure

Between April and July this year alone, 1,621 people died due to rain and lightning strikes, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai told the Rajya Sabha last week, citing inputs from states and union territories. The toll includes 100 deaths between April 10 and April 12, when lightning strikes over Bihar and Uttar Pradesh killed mostly farmers working in open fields, according to reports.

 

This is part of a disturbing pattern: lightning has claimed more lives annually than any other extreme weather event.

 

In 2024, about 1,300 people died due to lightning, according to the World Meteorological Organisation’s