Chennai, July 19 (UNI) Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
West Bengal and Odisha are the top five states which reported
most lightning in 2020.
Releasing its 2020 India Lightning Report today, Earth Networks,
operator of a nationwide lightning detection network, said for whole
of 2020, 39,549,444 lightning pulses were detected in India of which
12,022,402 were dangerous cloud-to-ground strikes.
The top five states with the most lightning last year were Tamil Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, and Odisha.
In 2020, India saw the highest concentration of lightning in May, June
and September because of the monsoon season.
In 2020, although the average rainfall across India reached 109 per
cent (just one per cent less than the 2019 average of 110 per cent),
the lightning increased by 22.6 per cent compared to 2019.
Severe weather and the dangers of lightning pose a great threat to the
Indian population.
India experiences extreme amounts of heat and moisture due to the
country’s proximity to the equator and the Indian Ocean, contributing
to severe and sudden thunderstorms throughout South Asia, the
report said.
According to a study by the National Crime Records Bureau, since
2001, 2,360 people die in India every year due to lightning.
With the Indian Monsoon now fully advanced, the country has
experienced tragic deaths due to severe weather within the
past few weeks.
UNI GV 1540