Nearly 100 Dead as Unseasonal Rains Batter India and Nepal; More Rain Forecast

NEW DELHI, April 11 (Alliance News): Nearly 100 people have died since Wednesday as unseasonal heavy rains and thunderstorms lashed parts of India and Nepal, officials and local media reported.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that more severe weather is expected over the coming days.

In India’s eastern state of Bihar, at least 64 deaths have been confirmed due to rain-related incidents, according to a senior official from the state’s disaster management department. The state has witnessed widespread damage from lightning strikes, house collapses, and falling trees.

In Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, over 20 people have lost their lives due to extreme weather, local media reported.

Meanwhile, in neighbouring Nepal, at least eight people were killed by lightning and heavy rainfall, officials from the National Disaster Authority confirmed.

The IMD had raised a multi-hazard weather warning on Wednesday, citing heatwave conditions in western India and thunderstorms with lightning in the central and eastern parts. The department forecasts continued heavy rain accompanied by strong winds and lightning in eastern and central regions of India till Saturday.

The rains arrive ahead of the usual monsoon season, which typically begins in June in southern India. Recent years have seen increasing weather extremes, with summers marked by deadly heatwaves and unpredictable rainfall patterns, raising concerns over climate resilience.

Last week, the IMD predicted a significantly hotter April, with above-normal temperatures expected across most of India.