Hailstones, thunderstorms, lightning and fierce winds heaped death and destruction in parts of Uttar Pradesh in what many called a freak summer storm after a globally monitored heatwave in the affected area.

At least 111 people lost their lives in the extreme weather event that uprooted trees and crushed weak houses across 26 districts, including Varanasi, Prayagraj and Kanpur divisions.

Extreme weather events on the rise

As climate watchers point out often, the Indian subcontinent has encountered punishing weather for many years now, with the biggest killer being extreme heat — an estimated 30,000 people die prematurely in a five-day heatwave.

This is followed by excess deaths caused by cyclones and floods — a rise of about 94% in two decades — and lightning strikes, the........

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