At least 89 people have been killed in India’s Uttar Pradesh state after powerful storms, including gales, lightning, heavy rain and hail, swept across the region, a government aid official said on Thursday.
The Relief Commissioner’s office said the extreme weather on May 13 also left 53 people injured, destroyed 114 livestock, and damaged 87 homes.
Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state with more than 240 million residents, is frequently affected by severe pre-monsoon storms, with lightning strikes a common cause of fatalities during the summer months.
Authorities said financial assistance has been ordered for affected families as recovery efforts begin.
India’s meteorological agency has repeatedly warned of increasing extreme weather events, including intense thunderstorms and lightning, which scientists have linked to rising temperatures and climate change.
Officials said the latest storms were part of widespread pre-monsoon activity triggered by unstable atmospheric conditions across the region.
