Lightning struck 13 million times last year

New Delhi: India has seen a 23 per cent increase in lightning strikes in 2020 compared to 2019. States like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha and West Bengal witnessed more and more lightning strikes. While Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra lost the most number of lives due to lightning.

According to a report by EarthNetworks released on Monday, India received 3.90 crore lightning strikes. It hit the ground more than a million times. When lightning strikes the ground, there is a high probability of loss of life and property.

A total of 815 people were killed in different parts of the country due to lightning strikes, according to a statement issued by the weather department in January. There were 280 deaths in Bihar, 220 in Uttar Pradesh, 122 in Jharkhand, 72 in Madhya Pradesh, 23 in Maharashtra and 20 in Andhra Pradesh.

Kumar Margsahayam of The EarthNetworks said that in fact the figure is much higher. People's lives can be saved by getting timely weather alerts and spreading awareness.

EarthNetworks claims that various central and state agencies, universities and the private sector across India are working together on this issue. Government agencies such as the Indian Armed Forces, the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the Northeast Space Experiment Center (NESC) use Earth Network's lightning sensors and their data to enhance their weather preparations.