20 people were killed in lightning strikes in Gujarat on Monday as a result of very heavy rains.
Eight individuals lost their lives to lightning strikes yesterday, coinciding with the state’s extensive unseasonal rainfall and thunderstorms.
In Botad taluka, a 22-year-old biker perished from a lightning strike, while in Mehsana district, a 29-year-old man perished after a tree fell on an autorickshaw. In addition, lightning strikes that coincided with the rains claimed the lives of two farmers in the Tapi district and one each in the Sabarkantha, Ahmedabad, Mehsana, and Dahod districts.
In certain areas, lightning strikes also claimed the lives of sheep and animals. The PTI news agency reports that since 6 a.m. on Sunday, up to 50 mm of rain had fallen in 10 hours in 220 out of 251 talukas in Gujarat. In contrast, Ahmedabad City saw 15 mm of rain yesterday. According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), a cyclonic circulation over the northeast Arabian Sea and the neighboring districts of Saurashtra and Kutch is to blame for the unseasonal rains.
Rainfall is expected in certain areas of the districts of southern Gujarat and Saurashtra on Monday as well, according to the weather monitoring service. However, IMD said dry weather is predicted for the state starting on Tuesday.
