India the Victim of Fatal Storms

Severe thunderstorms left four minors dead after they were struck by lightning in separate incidents in Nashik district and the surrounding areas on 1 March 2016.

The below screenshot from Earth Networks StreamerRT^SM shows the over 4,000 dangerous cloud-to-ground lightning strikes that touched down in the area during the violent storm.

Two young boys from Malegoan tehsil, aged 14 and 12, lost their lives to lightning. In Manur village in Kalwan tehsil, a young girl was killed by lightning while being caught out in the storm. One other young girl was killed in Devpur village in Dindori tehsil during the same storm.

The above video powered by Earth Networks Total Lightning Network shows the cloud-to-ground lightning strikes moving across the area during the storm’s strongest hours. A strong cluster of lightning barraged the Nashik region from the hours of 11-3 UTC.

Photo: REUTERS/PARIVARTAN SHARMA/FILES

Unseasonal rains and hails also pelted the region. The red square outlines the area of the Mangi Tungi foothills, where the storm interrupted the grand ceremony of ‘mahamastakabhishek.’ Conditions were also especially violent and disrupting in Niphad, Baglan, Malegaon, Kalwan, Dindori and Igatpuri tehsils.

Nangaon tehsil received 5mm of rain and Malegaon received 2mm of rain. This rain and hail damaged crops like wheat, pulses, gram, onions, and grapes. The weather also caused the death of livestock in the area.