At least 69 people lost their lives this week after powerful thunderstorms lashed eastern India’s Bihar state and neighbouring Nepal, in what officials and scientists say is another alarming indicator of intensifying climate extremes.

Bihar’s disaster management authorities confirmed Saturday that 61 people were killed during violent lightning and thunderstorm activity that struck the region on Thursday and Friday. In nearby Nepal, eight more fatalities were reported as lightning storms struck on Wednesday and Thursday, according to local disaster officials speaking to AFP.

The India Meteorological Department has warned that more heavy rainfall is expected in Bihar on Saturday, raising fresh concerns about flash floods and further lightning-related casualties.

While lightning and seasonal rains have long been deadly across the subcontinent, scientists are raising urgent alarms. Research shows that rising global temperatures are supercharging weather patterns, leading to more frequent and intense storms.

A study led by Fakir Mohan University in Odisha found that lightning strikes killed more than 101,000 people in India between 1967 and 2020, with a sharp surge in fatalities between 2010 and 2020. Currently, lightning kills an average of 1,900 people annually in the country.

Experts warn that without drastic action to curb climate change and improve early warning systems, the human toll from such extreme weather events will only rise.