Lightning strikes claim eight more lives in five Bihar districts

PATNA: Lightning strikes claimed eight more lives in five districts in Bihar on Friday. Thursday saw 26 people getting killed by lightning strikes in eight districts.
Three deaths were reported from Samastipur, two from Lakhisarai and one each from Gaya, Banka and Jamui.
This is the fourth incident of mass deaths due to lightning strikes in Bihar in eight days. Earlier, 92 people were killed across 22 districts on June 25.Later, 11 people were killed in five districts on June 30.
Chief minister Nitish Kumar announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the next of the kin of all those who died due to lightning on Friday. The CM also made an appeal to people to take necessary precautions during the turbulent weather.
Weathermen cautioned people to remain alert as more lightning strikes are expected over the next couple of days. The Patna Meteorological Centre issued a yellow warning for thunderstorm along with lightning in all 38 districts till Sunday. It stipulates that authorities should be watchful for extreme weather conditions.
A forecast has also been issued for rainfall with thunderstorm in all 38 districts in the state till July 7.
The intensity of showers is likely to be comparatively higher on Sunday, and districts in north-west Bihar, including West Champaran, East Champaran, Siwan, Saran and Gopalganj are very likely to receive rainfall with thunderstorm at most places on Sunday.
Districts in south-west Bihar, including Buxar, Bhojpur, Rohtas, Bhabhua, Aurangabad, Jehanabad and Arwal are also likely to witness enhanced rainfall activity along with lightning on Sunday. The thundershowers along with lightning have been attributed to combined impact of several weather factors in the region, including position of monsoon trough lines along with a cyclonic circulation.
The all-India weather bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department on Friday stated that a cyclonic circulation positioned over east Uttar Pradesh and neighbourhood and a north-south trough running from east Uttar Pradesh to east Vidarbha are most likely to cause fairly widespread rainfall and thundershower with isolated heavy to very heavy falls over central and adjoining east India during the next five days.