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Author(s): Athar Parvaiz

Will India lightning strike deaths rise as climate change worsens?

Source(s): Context
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  • Recent lightning casualties in Indian Kashmir cause alarm
  • Global warming seen making lightning strikes more frequent
  • Indian govt urged to follow example of U.S. to cut deaths

[...]

Thunderstorms and lightning have in recent years, killing about 2,500 people annually, India's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) says, with those in rural areas or working outdoors most at risk.

Lightning is the biggest killer among "forces of nature" - which also include avalanches, cyclones and landslides - accounting for , according to the latest data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

As temperatures rise and droughts worsen worldwide, lightning strikes are becoming more frequent not only in India but nations ranging from Nepal and Brazil to the United States.

More extreme heat can draw more moisture into the atmosphere and encourage rapid updraft – two key factors for charged particles, which lead to lightning.

[...]

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Themes Social impacts and social resilience
Country and region India

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