BHOPAL: Here’s a hair-raising fact. Madhya Pradesh had the highest number of lightning deaths in the country in August-September this year. At least 150 people were killed in these two months, and there were over 6.25 lakh lightning flashes across the state — twice as many as second-place Uttar Pradesh .

This is in addition to 102 lightning deaths between April 1 and July 1, which means 250 people were struck dead by lightning in six months, an average of one a day.

So, what’s going on? Weather experts believe the unprecedented heat and record rainfall this year were partly, or perhaps jointly, responsible.

“The land gets hotter due to the excessively hot summer. When monsoon rain comes in contact with the baking earth, heat is transferred and lighting strikes begin within half an hour to three hours,” said a weather expert. Madhya Pradesh not only had an unprecedented summer this year, with long periods of 45-plus temperature, it also had 43% surplus rain.

Between April and July, MP was fifth in lightning strikes, at 4.81 lakh. But in the next two months, it blazed to first place with 6.24 lakh lightning strikes. UP came second with 2.96 lakh strikes.

This electrifying data has been compiled by Climate Resilient Observing Systems Promotion Council (CROPC), an organization that maps lightning strikes through ISRO satellites and radars of the meteorological department. It is running a ‘lighting resilient India campaign’ in collaboration with Union ministry of earth science .

Former IMD director general K J Ramesh said global warming has an indirect bearing on the high lightning strikes as it impacts rain-bearing systems. “There is more lightning in August and September as these are months of heavy rain,” he explained.

But weather experts are still studying why it was so high this year. Director of MP Disaster Management Institute Rakesh Dubey said he is aware that MP had the highest lighting counts in August and September this year. “We have planned a mission to increase awareness among people to cut down lighting deaths,” he said.

Advisories are issued from time to time, said deputy director of state disaster management authority, Saurabh Singh. “We have also asked for installation of lightning arresters at all administrative buildings, hospitals and schools to check loss of life,” he added.

CROPC chairman Colonel (retd) Sanjay Srivastava said lighting claims more lives than any other disaster in the state. “In spite of this, the authorities are yet to take steps to prevent deaths. There is no political will and deliberate bureaucratic ignorance. States like Jharkhand , Karnataka, Odisha and Kerala changed their building laws and made lighting arresters mandatory, but MP is yet to wake up,” he said. Forecast of lightning can be done two hours in advance these days, giving people time to get to shelter, he pointed out.

At least 96% deaths due to lighting are in rural areas. And 71% of the victims were struck while standing under a tree. Every year, 3,000 people are killed by lightning in the country.

