Odisha Hit By 39K & Not 61K Lightning Strikes On Sept 2; Highest In Khurda & Cuttack

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) on Tuesday said that the total lightning strikes over Odisha on September 2 was 39,392.

Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the agency said that the number has been verified by IITM-Pune. Maximum strikes of 4,852 were in Khurda district followed by Cuttack (3,070), Boudh (2,560), Nayagarh (2,454) and Balangir (2,378).

The OSDMA has earlier tweeted about 36,597 cloud-to-cloud and 25,753 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes till 5.30 pm on Saturday, which left 12 dead and 14 injured in different parts of Odisha. Among the deceased, four were from Khurda district, two from Balangir , and one each from Angul, Boudh, Jagatsinghpur, Gajapati, Puri and Dhenkanal districts. Three persons from Khurda, 8 from Balangir and one each from Cuttack, Angul and Ganjam also sustained injuries in the lightning strikes. Eight cattle casualties were also reported from different parts of the state.

Also Read: 61K Lightning Strikes In 2 Hours Leave 12 Dead, 14 Injured In Odisha

Lightning bolts continued uninterrupted during the afternoon thundershower activities in Bhubaneswar and its neighbourhood. Bhubaneswar and Cuttack recorded 126 mm and 95.8 mm of rainfall respectively during a 90-minute spell.