Lightning strikes killed 147 people in Bihar over the last 10 days, officials informed AFP on July 5. Officials warned of more extreme weather conditions to come, driven by climate change. Around 215 people, farmers, labourers and cattle graziers have died from strikes in the state since late March, the authorities told AFP. Twenty-five people died on July 4, said Rai. India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of more lightning in the next 48 hours. Lightning strikes during the annual monsoon that runs from June to September are fairly common. But officials said this year number of deaths in Bihar has already surpassed the total number recorded annually for the state over the past few years, even though the monsoon season has just started. Bihar agrometeorologist Abdus Sattar told AFP that lightning and thunder was caused by large-scale instability in the atmosphere, fuelled by temperature rises and excessive moisture. In neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, just over 200 people have been struck and killed by lightning since April, according to officials.
