13 KILLED BY LIGHTNING IN TS, AP

As many as 13 persons were killed in lightning strikes across the Telugu states on Sunday, three in Telangana state and 10 in Andhra Pradesh.

In Telangana state, three persons died after being struck by lightning in Arepalli village in Bheemaram mandal. They had gone to cover their harvest with tarpaulin when it started raining late on Saturday night.

A report from Visakhapatnam said eight persons including four youngsters died in Srikakulam district on Sunday during a thunderstorm. In some pockets, lightning strikes also killed some cattle, according to reports.

Lightning strikes in April and May has claimed over 20 lives so far in Srikakulam district.

The weathermen have been issuing thunderstorm warning for the north AP region for almost every day in this month.

As many as 13 persons were killed in lightning strikes across the Telugu states on Sunday, three in Telangana state and 10 in Andhra Pradesh.

Although there is usually increased lightning activity in the north Andhra Pradesh region before the monsoon, this year cold winds from the Arabian Sea collided with warmer winds from northern India is said to have produced conditions that led to the formation of more clouds than usual.

Yerragondapalem in Prakasam and Paderu in Vizag received a chief amount of rainfall in the state.

Visakhapatnam city witnessed strong gale and scattered rainfall on Sunday.

Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds is very likely to occur at isolated places in all the districts of coastal Andhra Pradesh on Monday.

In Kadapa district, two women labourers killed and three were injured by a lightning strike at a chilli farm in Beechuvaripalle in Khajipet mandal. They were harvesting chilli on the fields when the lightning struck. Heavy rains with and gusty wind affected many parts of Kadapa and Anantapur districts.