Nearly 100 killed after heavy rain in Nepal and India

Nearly 100 people have lost their lives since Wednesday due to heavy rains that have battered parts of India and Nepal, according to officials and media reports. The weather department has forecast further unseasonal rainfall for the region in the coming days.

On Wednesday, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a multi-hazard warning across the country, highlighting heatwave conditions in the western regions and thunderstorms in the central and eastern parts.

In Bihar, a senior official from the state’s disaster management department told Reuters that at least 64 people have died in rain-related incidents since Wednesday. Local media also reported that over 20 people have died in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state.

Across the border in Nepal, officials from the National Disaster Authority confirmed that lightning strikes and heavy rain have resulted in at least eight deaths.

The IMD has predicted continued heavy rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and strong winds in central and eastern India through Saturday.

Typically, the monsoon season in India begins in June, starting from the south. However, in recent years, summer months have increasingly been marked by severe heatwaves, leading to numerous fatalities.

The IMD had already warned last week that April is expected to be significantly hotter than usual, with above-average temperatures likely across most parts of the country.