Heavy and continuous downpour accompanied by lightning has claimed about 36 lives in northern India and 24 casualties have been reported from Uttar Pradesh.
It is said a modest one degree Celsius rise in temperature increases lightning by 12 times.
There has been a 34 percent rise in lightning strikes across India over the past year.
In 2016, sources say India had recorded 1,489 deaths due to lightning but in 2021 the same figure jumped to 2,869.
The deaths include 12 of those ill-fated who have been struck by lightning, media reports said.
Across the state of Uttar Pradesh, at least 24 people died after their homes collapsed amid unrelenting rains, Relief Commissioner Ranvir Prasad said.
In Prayagraj, reports claimed some people died due to lightning struck on Friday evening.
“As soon as my son and his son set foot on the roof, they were hit by lightning and my son died,” one person has been quoted as stating in a section of the media.
At least 39 people had been killed by lightning in the past five days, prompting authorities to issue new guidelines advising people how to protect themselves during a thunderstorm.
Sanjay Srivastava, whose organisation Lightning Resilient India Campaign works with the Indian Meteorological Department, said deforestation, pollution and the depletion of water bodies are largely contributing to climate change and leading to increased lightning.
