Overview

• Official figures show 1,626 people died and 52,367 livestock perished between April and July 2025, with 157,818 hectares of crops damaged by storms and lightning.
• The Centre approved a Mitigation Project on Lightning Safety worth Rs 186.78 crore covering 50 high-risk districts across 10 states to cut fatalities and property losses.
• The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology deployed 112 sensors nationwide and launched the DAMINI mobile app to deliver real-time alerts within a 20–40 sq km radius.
• The India Meteorological Department now issues colour-coded lightning and thunderstorm forecasts up to five days in advance and three-hour nowcasts using satellite, radar and ground data.
• Experts warn that human-driven climate pressures and gaps in rural adoption of warning technologies continue to fuel high casualty rates.