Reported by NE NOW NEWS
Guwahati: At least five people have lost their lives in lightning strikes across different districts of Assam over the past three days as severe weather conditions continue to affect the state.
According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), three persons were killed by lightning on May 23 in Kokrajhar, Barpeta, and Golaghat districts. One death each was also reported from Udalguri district on May 22 and Dibrugarh district on May 21.
The ASDMA also stated that six animals were killed in lightning-related incidents during the same period.
Apart from the fatalities, several districts witnessed storms accompanied by heavy rainfall and strong winds on Saturday, causing damage to houses and infrastructure. The affected districts include Goalpara, Bongaigaon, Sonitpur, Lakhimpur, Hojai, Dibrugarh, and Golaghat.
Official reports said around 31 villages under 11 revenue circles were affected by the storm activity. Local administrations and disaster management teams have been assessing the extent of the damage and monitoring the situation.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued fresh alerts for thunderstorms, lightning, and heavy rainfall in several parts of Assam over the coming days. Authorities have advised residents to remain cautious, avoid open areas during thunderstorms, and follow official weather advisories.
The recurring lightning-related deaths have once again highlighted the vulnerability of several districts in Assam during the monsoon and pre-monsoon seasons, particularly in rural and open areas where people remain exposed to extreme weather conditions.
While Assam and several northeastern states continue to experience rainfall and thunderstorms, large parts of northern, central, and western India remain under intense heatwave conditions.
According to the IMD, temperatures in several states have crossed 40 degrees Celsius, with heatwave to severe heatwave conditions reported from parts of Uttar Pradesh, Vidarbha, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Punjab, and Andhra Pradesh.
The weather department stated that heatwave conditions are likely to persist in several regions over the next six days.