Patna (Bihar) [India], May 29 (ANI): Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Friday expressed profound grief over the loss of seven lives due to lightning strikes in various districts of the state and announced an ex-gratia of 4 lakh each for the families of the deceased.

Taking to the social media platform X, the CM termed the incidents 'extremely heartbreaking.'

'The incident of lightning strikes in the state resulting in the untimely deaths of 02 persons in Aurangabad, 03 in Gaya, 1 in Saran, and 1 in Khagaria is extremely heartbreaking. My deepest condolences are with the bereaved families. May God grant peace to the departed souls and provide strength to the families during this difficult time.' CM Choudhary posted.

He further informed that the state government has initiated the process of providing financial assistance to the affected families.

'The Disaster Management Department has been directed to immediately provide an ex-gratia grant of 4 lakh each to the families of the deceased,' he added.

In view of the volatile weather conditions, the CM appealed to the citizens to remain vigilant and follow safety protocols.

'I appeal to everyone to exercise utmost caution during bad weather. Follow the guidelines issued from time to time by the Disaster Management Department for protection against lightning strikes. Stay indoors as much as possible during bad weather and remain safe,' he stated.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday issued a severe weather warning for Bihar, predicting a high-intensity thundersquall and isolated hailstorm activity across the state today.

According to the IMD, a thundersquall with wind speeds reaching 80-90 kmph, gusting up to 100 kmph, is likely to prevail over Bihar on May 29. The weather agency has also forecast isolated hailstorm activity, urging residents to take necessary precautions against falling trees and lightning strikes.

The alert follows 24 hours of extreme weather activity in the region.

In the data recorded ending at 08:30 hours IST today, the IMD noted that very heavy rainfall (11-20 cm) occurred at isolated places over Bihar, as well as in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal.

Providing details on the wind speeds recorded over the last 24 hours, the MeT department highlighted significant gusty winds in several Bihar districts: Patna: 107 kmph, Rajgir: 76 kmph, Ziradei: 72 kmph

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday issued its second-stage long-range forecast for the southwest monsoon season, projecting below-normal rainfall across several key regions of the country while warning of heatwave conditions in multiple states starting in June. (ANI)