Deaths caused by lightning have been consistently rising

Lightning has emerged arsenic the astir lethal earthy hazard successful India, with the fig of fatalities rising consistently implicit the years. A reappraisal of reports published by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) showed that the state reported a full of 1,02,263 deaths owed to lightning successful the 50-year-period betwixt 1975 and 2024 (Chart 1). Over fractional of these deaths happened betwixt 2005 and 2024.

The decennial averages of deaths caused by lightning successful the past 3 decades jumped from 1,683 (1995-2004) to 2,476 (2005-2014) and 2,809 (2015-2024). This is contempt India’s broader advancement successful reducing deaths from earthy causes, acknowledgment to amended forecasting, modelling and catastrophe preparedness. From 2016, lightning accounted for astatine slightest 50% of each deaths owed to earthy causes portion cyclones and floods accounted for fewer (Chart 2). There were 3,315 deaths caused by lightning successful 2016, which was the highest ever since 1974, arsenic per the NCRB. In presumption of proportion, lightning accounted for the highest stock of each deaths owed to earthy causes successful 2021. There were 2,880 deaths owed to lightning, which was 70.4% of the 4,091 deaths owed to earthy causes.