Gujarat faces a grim toll as reports confirm the loss of twenty lives due to lightning strikes across various regions amidst unexpected rainfall. The unforeseen weather patterns have led to a tragic outcome, with casualties reported from different districts in the state.

As per the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), the death occurred as follows: four individuals in Dahod district, three in Bharuch, two in Tapi, and one each in Ahmedabad, Amreli, Banaskantha, Botad, Kheda, Mehsana, Panchmahal, Sabarkantha, Surat, Surendranagar, and Devbhumi Dwarka.

Yesterday's adverse weather conditions claimed eight lives due to lightning strikes, coinciding with the widespread unseasonal rains accompanied by thunderstorms. Among the victims, a 22-year-old biker was fatally struck by lightning in Botad taluka. Additionally, a 29-year-old man lost his life after a tree fell on an autorickshaw in Mehsana district. The impact was felt in the agricultural sector too, with two farmers losing their lives in Tapi district and one each in Sabarkantha, Ahmedabad, Mehsana, and Dahod districts.

Tragically, lightning strikes also led to the loss of livestock in certain areas.

Reports indicate that 220 out of 251 talukas in Gujarat experienced rainfall of up to 50 mm within a span of 10 hours starting from 6 am on Sunday. In Ahmedabad city alone, 15 mm of rainfall was recorded yesterday.

The unanticipated rainfall has been attributed to a cyclonic circulation positioned over the northeast Arabian Sea and adjoining Saurashtra and Kutch regions, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

Manorama Mohanty, the director of IMD's Ahmedabad centre, affirmed that the rain activity is anticipated to diminish by Monday. Mohanty added that the rains will likely be concentrated in specific parts of south Gujarat and Saurashtra districts as the situation progresses.

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