Storm, lightning kill 30 in India

Heavy pre-monsoonal rains lashed many parts of Uttar Pradesh in India on Friday bringing relief from scorching heat but also leaving 30 persons dead in storm and lightning-related accidents, officials said on Friday.

While 11 persons have been killed and 16 injured in Amethi and Rae Bareli, five persons died in Sultanpur and two each in Sitapur and Bahraich in central Uttar Pradesh.

Ten persons, including five women and two children, were killed in Poorvanchal (eastern UP) after being struck by lightning, an official said.

Meanwhile, two persons died due to extreme heat wave in Mahoba district of Bundelkhand.

By evening, the heat returned to most parts of the state, with the mercury touching a high of 42 degrees Celsius in Banda, 39 degrees in Etawah, and 40 degrees in Auraiyya.