Bhopal: Nine people have lost their lives due to lightning in Madhya Pradesh in the past 20 days. The southwest monsoon covered the entire state on Friday. The state was yet to witness widespread showers, but it has already recorded ten lightning deaths.Experts point out that global warming and pollution are causes of lightning. Global warming has not only increased surface temperature but also atmospheric temperature in the last 120 years. The atmospheric temperature increased from 0.7 degrees to 0.9 degrees, while pollution led to temperature rise and atmospheric instability, besides the melting of glaciers. As a result, moisture is always available for cloud formation.

Due to pollution, the charging capacity within the cloud increases, leading to lightning and thunder.In the deaths that occurred so far, three people died in Bhind district on June 18. In three separate incidents, three people died on June 16. One death was reported in Bhopal, one youth died in Rewa district, and another death was reported in Mauganj district of the state. On May 30, a couple and their son died in Rewa district.In 2024, at least 640 lives were claimed in rain-related incidents. The number of lightning deaths last year, between January and August, was around 380.