Lightning has killed 1300 people in India in 2024, with one particular lightning event on July 10 claiming 72 lives in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand, according to the World Meteorological Organisation's (WMO) 'State of the Climate in Asia Report 2024'. The report also revealed that 450 deaths were reported in India in 2024 due to intense heatwaves. 

The report was released in Geneva by WMO as a Climate Statement on Monday morning, highlighting changes in key climate indicators such as surface temperatures, glacier mass and sea level, fueling extreme events with major consequences for societies, communities, economies and ecosystems. It is based on inputs from the National Hydrological and Meteorological Services which are the national institutions responsible for delivering essential weather, climate, and water-related services, including the India Meteorological Department (IMD). 

The report has ranked 2024 as the warmest year on record with the continent's average temperature about 1.04° C above the average temperatures between 1991 to 2020. Asia has warmed twice as fast in the past 33 years (1991 - 2024)  compared to the 29-year period before that (1961 - 1990) with prolonged heatwaves.