At least 46 people were killed as storms and lightning struck parts of northern and eastern India, officials and news reports said Tuesday.

The Monday night storm, accompanied by high-speed winds and light rain, felled trees and electricity poles and brought down roofs and temporary structures.

Nineteen people died in the eastern state of Bihar, with 11 of the deaths due to lightning strikes, according to the state disaster management agency.

In neighboring Jharkhand, 12 people were killed and 28 injured due to lightning, media reports said.

In the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, 15 people died, officials at the state relief control room said.

Most of the deaths were due to collapsing houses and lightning strikes, the officials said.

The weather bureau has forecast storms in some parts of Uttar Pradesh until Wednesday.

Summer dust storms accompanied by strong winds are common in India ahead of the rainy monsoon season.

Over 180 people died earlier this month as powerful storms ravaged several states, including Uttar Pradesh, which accounted for most of the deaths. </s> Disaster management officials in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand states said a combined total of 47 people had died in overnight storms across the region.

Bihar was the worst hit, pounded by strong winds and thunderbolts.

"At least 19 people have been confirmed dead. 11 of them due to lightning," Yoginder Singh, a state disaster management official, told AFP.

The wild weather stretched into neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, where winds of up to 70 kilometres (43 miles) an hour buffeted India's most populous state.

"Fifteen people were killed by overnight lightning and high speed winds," said T.P. Gupta, an official from the Uttar Pradesh disaster management department.

Another 10 people were injured, some with burns after being struck by lightning, he added. </s> At least 71 people died on Sunday as dust storms and thunderstorms hit parts of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and New Delhi, PTI reported. Thunderstorms and hail left 42 people dead in Uttar Pradesh while 14 people – including four children – died in West Bengal, 12 in Andhra Pradesh, two in Delhi and one in Uttarakhand. Nearly 83 people were injured in Uttar Pradesh, 11 in Delhi and two in Uttarakhand.

Over 84 houses were damaged in the storm in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri district, whereas most number of deaths, eight, were recorded in Bareilly, according to The Times of India.

High-velocity winds uprooted trees in New Delhi and some other parts of North India. Rail, road and air traffic was also severely affected. In the national Capital, at least 40 flights were diverted and 24 delayed, DNA reported.

In East Delhi’s Pandav Nagar area, a woman died after a tree fell on her. Another woman was killed and her 17-year-old son seriously wounded when an illegal hoarding fell on them in Bisrakh area of Greater Noida. The India Meteorological Department has said that thunderstorms also occurred at a few places in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Assam, Meghalaya, Maharashtara, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, PTI reported.

The thunderstorms are likely to continue over the next couple of days, Charan Singh, a scientist with the Indian Meteorological Department said. The Met office has also warned that thunderstorms and dust storms with wind speeds of up to 70 km per hour were “very likely” on Monday in 26 districts of Uttar Pradesh. </s> In the past two days, at least 48 people in northern India have died in pre-monsoon storms, prompting what a government official called a “critical situation.”

The fatalities were caused by lightning as well as strong winds and heavy rain that lashed rural areas, bringing down trees and walls, TP Gupta, project manager at Uttar Pradesh’s Relief Commissioner’s Office told CNN.

Sixteen lives were claimed in Uttar Pradesh state alone, while in hardest-hit Bihar 19 people died, 11 because of lightning.

These fatalities follow at least 200 storm-caused deaths in April and May, according to Gupta.

Authorities have tried to limit casualties by airing alerts on local television channels and by sending area officials to warn residents, especially in remote communities.

Pratyaya Amrit, principal secretary of Bihar’s Disaster Management Department, told CNN that the “situation was critical.”

Lightning strikes have killed more than 2,000 people in India every year since 2005, according to India’s National Crime Statistics Bureau. This past April, lightning struck the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh 36,749 times in just one night.

While the north contends with turbulent pre-monsoon weather, the annual rainy season, which typically runs from June to September, has already arrived in the south of the country, as of Tuesday. According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the showers hit the country’s southern coast three days ahead of schedule. </s> Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Lightning strikes are common in India during heavy monsoon rains

At least 50 people are reported to have died amid heavy thunder and lightning that battered parts of northern India on Tuesday, officials said.

High-speed winds and lighting strikes devastated many villages, bringing down walls and leaving dozens injured.

The eastern state of Bihar was the worst hit, with 20 confirmed deaths due to lightning.

The latest incidents come weeks after devastating dust storms killed more than 100 people across north India.

Lightning strikes are common in India during heavy monsoon rains.

Fifteen people have been killed in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh and at least 12 have died in the eastern state of Jharkhand, officials told BBC Hindi.

Three children died after a tree collapsed on them in the northern state of Uttarakhand, according to the PTI news agency.

India's Meteorological Department told the BBC that temperatures across northern India may touch up to 47C in the coming weeks, which could lead to more high-speed winds and storms in the future. They also warned that electricity could be disrupted across states due to the severe weather.

Many of the dead were sleeping indoors when their houses collapsed after being struck by lightning or gusts of wind.

India state records 36,749 lightning strikes in 13 hours

At least 2,000 people have died in lightning strikes in India every year since 2005, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.

Large parts of India have been struck by deadly storms in the past month. More than 100 people died in northern India on 4 May due to intense dust storms and heavy rains.

Authorities at the time said they were shocked by the ferocity of the storms, adding that it was one of the worst they had seen.

Safety tips when lightning strikes

Seek shelter inside a large building or a car

Get out of wide, open spaces and away from exposed hilltops

If you have nowhere to shelter, make yourself as small a target as possible by crouching down with your feet together, hands on knees and head tucked in

Do not shelter beneath tall or isolated trees

If you are on water, get to the shore and off wide, open beaches as quickly as possible

Source: Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents </s> Storms, lightning kill at least 47 in India

Storms and lightning across a swathe of northern India have killed at least 47 people, officials said Tuesday, the latest deaths from freak weather that has battered the country this month.

Bihar was the worst hit, pounded by strong winds and thunderbolts.

"At least 19 people have been confirmed dead. 11 of them due to lightning," Yoginder Singh, a state disaster management official, told AFP.

The wild weather stretched into neighboring Uttar Pradesh, where winds of up to 70 kilometres (43 miles) an hour buffeted India's most populous state.

"Fifteen people were killed by overnight lightning and high speed winds," said T.P. Gupta, an official from the Uttar Pradesh disaster management department.

Another 10 people were injured, some with burns after being struck by lightning, he added.

Many in rural India sleep outdoors during the summer to escape the searing heat.

Nearly 200 people have died in Uttar Pradesh this month alone as strong winds and sandstorms brought down walls and electricity poles.

In Jharkhand, east of Bihar, 13 people died and six were injured in violent weather overnight, said Sushil Kumar, the head of the state's disaster management department. </s> At least 70 people killed after wave of sandstorms and thunderstorms

Storms with strong winds were "very likely" in most parts of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh on Monday, India's most populous state, the India Meteorological Department said in its latest forecast.

Storms are common at this time of the year, the beginning of the rainy season in South Asia, but the severity of the weather this year, and the human cost, have been unusual.

At least 34 people were killed and 47 injured when thunderstorms swept Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, displacing hundreds of people, Sanjay Kumar, relief commissioner for the state, told Reuters by telephone from Lucknow, the state capital, adding that the casualty figures might rise.

Five people were killed in New Delhi and the surrounding region, largely due to falling trees, authorities said. </s> Agency

 New Delhi: Dust storms and thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds wreaked havoc in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and the national capital, killing at least 34 people and leaving behind a trail of destruction.

 West Bengal bore the brunt of a thunderstorm that left at least 12 people including four children dead, while 11 were killed in Uttar Pradesh and nine in Andhra Pradesh, and two in Delhi, officials said.

 At several places in north India including Delhi, high-velocity winds uprooted trees and affected road, rail and air services.

 Today’s devastation comes over 10 days after storms hit UP, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttarakhand and Punjab, killing 134 people and injuring over 400. UP was the worst affected, accounting for 80 deaths, most of them in Agra district in the western part of the state.

 Subsequently on May 9, several parts of Uttar Pradesh were struck by a severe storm that left 18 dead and 27 others injured.

 According to the India Meteorological Department, thunderstorms also occurred at isolated places in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Assam, Meghalaya, Maharashtara, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu today.

 A squall and dust storm with a wind speed of up to 109 kmph battered Delhi and neighbouring areas today, killing two persons and injuring 19 others, and throwing flight, rail and metro operations out of gear.

 In West Bengal, at least 12 people, including four children, were killed and over 15 injured in lightning strike amid heavy rain, an official of the state disaster management department said.

 Five deaths were reported from Howrah district, while two deaths each from West Midnapore, North 24-Parganas and Nadia districts and one from Murshidabad district.

 Eleven people have died, while 28 others were injured in Uttar Pradesh in today’s storm.

 Principal secretary (Information) Awanish Awasthi told PTI, “Four deaths have been reported from Kasganj, while two persons died in Bulandshahr. Apart from this, one death each has been reported from Kannauj, Aligarh, Sambhal, Ghaziabad and Noida.”

 In Andhra Pradesh, nine persons were killed in lightning strikes.

 While seven persons were killed in Srikakulam district alone, two more were killed in Kadapa, officials said.

 Various parts of the southern state witnessed rain, accompanied by gales.

 In Delhi, the sky turned dark grey around 4:30 pm. Gusty winds and rain lashed the national capital, causing the temperature to drop to 25.2 degrees Celsius.

 The much-needed reprieve came after a sweltering day, when the maximum temperature had reached 40.60 degrees Celsius, a notch above the normal. Humidity during the morning hours was recorded at 60 per cent, a MeT official said.

 The officials said two squalls whipped through the national capital. One clocking 109 kmph hit the Safdarjung area at 4:44 pm and continued till 4:46 pm. The other gusting to 96 kmph battered the Palam area at 4:33 pm.

 The strong winds knocked down nearly 200 trees in the city. Incidents of wall collapse were reported from Najafgarh, Transit Camp, Nehru Place, Mohan Garden in Uttam Nagar and Raj Nagar in Palam, said a senior officer of the Delhi Fire Service.

 A man was crushed to death in a wall collapse, while a woman was killed when a tree uprooted and fell on her, the police said.

 Traffic in many areas moved at a snail’s pace due to the reduced visibility.

 The inclement weather interrupted the launch of a 140 kWp rooftop solar plant at IP Extension attended by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

 Operations at the Delhi airport came to a halt due to the dust storm. At least 40 flights were diverted and more than 24 delayed, an official said.

 Metro operations were affected at a number of stations on the Violet and Blue lines after trees fell on overhead electricity (OHE) wires.

 The Northern Railways said the train movement was disrupted on the section between the Hazrat Nizamuddin and Palwal stations due to tree felling.

 A few passenger and freight trains were held up for around 25 minutes because of the disruption. The Kalka-New Delhi Shatabdi Express was also stopped near Sonepat due to uprooting of trees.

 According to MeT department officials, the Safdarjung Observatory gauged 8.3 mm of rainfall. The Palam, Aya Nagar and Lodhi Road areas recorded 0.8, 6.4 and 2.1 mm of precipitation.

 The weatherman forecast partly cloudy skies and light rainfall tomorrow. </s> NEW DELHI: Dust storms and thunderstorms wreaked havoc in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and the national capital, killing at least 41 people and leaving behind a trail of destruction.

Uttar Pradesh bore the brunt of a thunderstorm and hail that left at least 18 people dead, while 12 people including four children were killed in West Bengal, nine in Andhra Pradesh, and two in Delhi, officials said.

At several places in north India including Delhi, high-velocity winds uprooted trees and affected road, rail and air services.

According to the India Meteorological Department, thunderstorms also occurred at isolated places in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Assam, Meghalaya, Maharashtara, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu today.

In a tweet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: "Saddened by the loss of lives due to storms in some parts of the country. Condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured."

Condoling the deaths, Congress President Rahul Gandhi in a tweet asked party workers to provide all assistance to the bereaved families.

Today's devastation comes over 10 days after storms hit UP, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttarakhand and Punjab, killing 134 people and injuring over 400.

UP was the worst affected, accounting for 80 deaths, most of them in Agra district in the western part of the state.

Subsequently on May 9, several parts of Uttar Pradesh were struck by a severe storm that left 18 dead and 27 others injured.

At least 18 people were killed and 28 injured in hail and thunderstorm that pummelled parts of Uttar Pradesh, officials said.

Five people were killed in Kasganj, three in Bulandshahr and two each in Ghaziabad and Saharanpur.

One person each died in Etawah, Aligarh, Kannauj, Hapur, Noida and Sambhal, Principal Secretary (Information) Awanish Awasthi said.

A squall and dust storm with a wind speed of up to 109 kmph battered Delhi and neighbouring areas today, killing two persons and injuring 18 others, and throwing flight, rail and metro operations out of gear.

In West Bengal, at least 12 people, including four children, were killed and over 15 injured in lightning strike amid heavy rain, an official of the state disaster management department said.

Five deaths were reported from Howrah district, while two deaths each from West Midnapore, North 24-Parganas and Nadia districts and one from Murshidabad district.

In Andhra Pradesh, nine persons were killed in lightning strikes.

While seven persons were killed in Srikakulam district alone, two more were killed in Kadapa, officials said.

Various parts of the southern state witnessed rain, accompanied by gales.

In Delhi, the sky turned dark grey around 4:30 pm.

Gusty winds and rain lashed the national capital, causing the temperature to drop to 25.2 degrees Celsius.

The much-needed reprieve came after a sweltering day, when the maximum temperature had reached 40.60 degrees Celsius, a notch above the normal.

Humidity during the morning hours was recorded at 60 per cent, a MeT official said.

The officials said two squalls whipped through the national capital.

One clocking 109 kmph hit the Safdarjung area at 4:44 pm and continued till 4:46 pm.

The other gusting to 96 kmph battered the Palam area at 4:33 pm.

The strong winds knocked down nearly 200 trees in the city.

Incidents of wall collapse were reported from Najafgarh, Transit Camp, Nehru Place, Mohan Garden in Uttam Nagar and Raj Nagar in Palam, said a senior officer of the Delhi Fire Service.

A man was crushed to death in a wall collapse, while a woman was killed when a tree uprooted and fell on her, the police said.

Traffic in many areas moved at a snail's pace due to the reduced visibility.

The inclement weather interrupted the launch of a 140 kWp rooftop solar plant at IP Extension attended by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Operations at the Delhi airport came to a halt due to the dust storm.

At least 40 flights were diverted and more than 24 delayed, an official said.

Metro operations were affected at a number of stations on the Violet and Blue lines after trees fell on overhead electricity (OHE) wires.

The Northern Railways said the train movement was disrupted on the section between the Hazrat Nizamuddin and Palwal stations due to tree felling.

A few passenger and freight trains were held up for around 25 minutes because of the disruption.

The Kalka-New Delhi Shatabdi Express was also stopped near Sonepat due to uprooting of trees.

According to MeT department officials, the Safdarjung Observatory gauged 8.3 mm of rainfall.

The Palam, Aya Nagar and Lodhi Road areas recorded 0.8, 6.4 and 2.1 mm of precipitation.

K Sathi Devi, the head of the National Weather Forecasting Centre, said two western disturbances had led to the inclement weather.

"A cloud mass passed over Delhi. The extreme weather not only affected Delhi; Panipat, Jhajjar, Rohtak, Jind in Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh," said G P Sharma, President (Meteorology) Skymet, a private weather forecasting agency.

The winds continued to gust to 70 kmph even after the cloud mass passed over Delhi.

Thunderstorm and dust storm with winds speeds of up to 70 km per hour are "very likely" tomorrow in 26 districts of Uttar Pradesh, the weather office warned.
At least 50 people are reported to have died amid heavy thunder and lightning storms in northern India.