In this May 27, 2018 photo thunderbolts are reflected near Premnitz, eastern Germany. (Julian Staehle/dpa via AP) In this May 27, 2018 photo thunderbolts are reflected near Premnitz, eastern Germany. (Julian Staehle/dpa via AP)

Lightning strikes downtown San Antonio and the Tower of the Americas during storms that rolled through the area Sunday Sept. 17, 2006. The scene was photographed from a dorm room balcony at Trintiy University. SEAN KIENLE / COURTESY Storms on Sunday Sept. 17 brought lightening with them as they rolled through San Antonio. Trinity University. This evening I was shooting pictures from my balcony and just happened to capture an image of the Tower of Americas being struck by lightning less Lightning strikes downtown San Antonio and the Tower of the Americas during storms that rolled through the area Sunday Sept. 17, 2006. The scene was photographed from a dorm room balcony at Trintiy University. ... more

A lightning bolt strikes in a pasture in South Tyler, Texas, as thunderstorms pass over East Texas on Sunday morning, June 3, 2007. A lightning bolt strikes in a pasture in South Tyler, Texas, as thunderstorms pass over East Texas on Sunday morning, June 3, 2007.

Firefighters respond to a fire caused by lightning near Leon Springs as storms hit the San Antonio area on July 19, 2011. Firefighters respond to a fire caused by lightning near Leon Springs as storms hit the San Antonio area on July 19, 2011.

A pair of lightning bolts are seen striking the ground as a line of thunderstorms passes over Tyler, Texas on Tuesday, May 22, 2013. This same front continues to move easterly across the country. (AP Photo/Dr. Scott M. Lieberman) less A pair of lightning bolts are seen striking the ground as a line of thunderstorms passes over Tyler, Texas on Tuesday, May 22, 2013. This same front continues to move easterly across the country. (AP Photo/Dr. ... more

Metro daily - A lightning bolt strikes ground east of Fort Davis during a late afternoon thunderstorm, the first in the area since last August. Water from the rain has pooled around clumps of burned grass that was scorched by wild fires in April. Wed, July 13, 2011. Photo Bob Owen/rowen@express-news.net less Metro daily - A lightning bolt strikes ground east of Fort Davis during a late afternoon thunderstorm, the first in the area since last August. Water from the rain has pooled around clumps of burned grass that ... more

San Antonio firefighters extinguish hot spots at the Stoneybrook Apartments on the Northwest Side, where lightning struck a building and sparked a two-alarm fire early Sunday. San Antonio firefighters extinguish hot spots at the Stoneybrook Apartments on the Northwest Side, where lightning struck a building and sparked a two-alarm fire early Sunday.

Lightning rods based on a design by Ben Franklin in the 1700s are still the most commonly used form of lightning protection around the world. But as the costs associated with a possible lightning strike grow, some companies are trying other solutions. less Lightning rods based on a design by Ben Franklin in the 1700s are still the most commonly used form of lightning protection around the world. But as the costs associated with a possible lightning strike grow, ... more

Lightning strikes over downtown San Antonio after the Fiesta Flambeau Night Parade on Saturday, April 27, 2013. Lightning strikes over downtown San Antonio after the Fiesta Flambeau Night Parade on Saturday, April 27, 2013.

Lightning strikes over downtown San Antonio after the Fiesta Flambeau Night Parade on Saturday, April 27, 2013. Lightning strikes over downtown San Antonio after the Fiesta Flambeau Night Parade on Saturday, April 27, 2013.

Lightning flashes in the sky over the Broadmoor Resort where the the third round of the Women's U.S. Open golf tournament at the Broadmoor Golf Club has be delayed because of weather on Saturday, July 9, 2011, in Colorado Springs, Colo. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) less Lightning flashes in the sky over the Broadmoor Resort where the the third round of the Women's U.S. Open golf tournament at the Broadmoor Golf Club has be delayed because of weather on Saturday, July 9, 2011, ... more

A wildfire burns homes in Yarnell, Ariz. on Sunday, June 30, 2013. An Arizona fire chief says the wildfire that killed 19 members of his crew near the town was moving fast and fueled by hot, dry conditions. The fire started with a lightning strike on Friday and spread to 2,000 acres on Sunday amid triple-digit temperatures. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, David Kadlubowski) less A wildfire burns homes in Yarnell, Ariz. on Sunday, June 30, 2013. An Arizona fire chief says the wildfire that killed 19 members of his crew near the town was moving fast and fueled by hot, dry conditions. The ... more

Multiple bolts of lightning streak to the ground as a severe thunderstorm moves through eastern Henderson County, Ky., Tuesday evening, July 31, 2012. The same storm system ripped through Southwestern Indiana, injuring at least four people and causing extensive damage. (AP Photo/The Gleaner, Mike Lawrence) less Multiple bolts of lightning streak to the ground as a severe thunderstorm moves through eastern Henderson County, Ky., Tuesday evening, July 31, 2012. The same storm system ripped through Southwestern Indiana, ... more

Storm clouds move over Guthrie, Okla. In Arkansas, nine people were injured during wicked weather, including two injured in a lightning strike in Rogers. Storm clouds move over Guthrie, Okla. In Arkansas, nine people were injured during wicked weather, including two injured in a lightning strike in Rogers.</s>Two women have suffered serious injuries after being struck by lightning in the western German city of Bochum, authorities said.

Two women have suffered serious injuries after being struck by lightning in the western German city of Bochum, authorities said.

Two women struck by lightning as summer storms lash Germany

The city's fire service said the women, in their early twenties, were walking on a footpath when lighting struck late on Sunday.

One of them had to be resuscitated by paramedics at the scene. Western and central Germany saw heavy storms on Sunday, flooding roads and basements.

Firefighters in the state of Hesse rescued two women who were trapped in their car by a mudslide. Dozens of flights were cancelled at Frankfurt Airport, Germany's busiest, because of storms.

Germany and other parts of Europe have been experiencing an unusually long stretch of very warm weather in May. Meteorologists predict temperatures in Germany will hit 33C (91.4F) this week.</s>Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Lightning strikes are common in India during heavy monsoon rains

At least 50 people are reported to have died amid heavy thunder and lightning that battered parts of northern India on Tuesday, officials said.

High-speed winds and lighting strikes devastated many villages, bringing down walls and leaving dozens injured.

The eastern state of Bihar was the worst hit, with 20 confirmed deaths due to lightning.

The latest incidents come weeks after devastating dust storms killed more than 100 people across north India.

Lightning strikes are common in India during heavy monsoon rains.

Fifteen people have been killed in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh and at least 12 have died in the eastern state of Jharkhand, officials told BBC Hindi.

Three children died after a tree collapsed on them in the northern state of Uttarakhand, according to the PTI news agency.

India's Meteorological Department told the BBC that temperatures across northern India may touch up to 47C in the coming weeks, which could lead to more high-speed winds and storms in the future. They also warned that electricity could be disrupted across states due to the severe weather.

Many of the dead were sleeping indoors when their houses collapsed after being struck by lightning or gusts of wind.

India state records 36,749 lightning strikes in 13 hours

At least 2,000 people have died in lightning strikes in India every year since 2005, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.

Large parts of India have been struck by deadly storms in the past month. More than 100 people died in northern India on 4 May due to intense dust storms and heavy rains.

Authorities at the time said they were shocked by the ferocity of the storms, adding that it was one of the worst they had seen.

Safety tips when lightning strikes

Seek shelter inside a large building or a car

Get out of wide, open spaces and away from exposed hilltops

If you have nowhere to shelter, make yourself as small a target as possible by crouching down with your feet together, hands on knees and head tucked in

Do not shelter beneath tall or isolated trees

If you are on water, get to the shore and off wide, open beaches as quickly as possible

Source: Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents</s>Storms, lightning kill at least 47 in India

Storms and lightning across a swathe of northern India have killed at least 47 people, officials said Tuesday, the latest deaths from freak weather that has battered the country this month.

Bihar was the worst hit, pounded by strong winds and thunderbolts.

"At least 19 people have been confirmed dead. 11 of them due to lightning," Yoginder Singh, a state disaster management official, told AFP.

The wild weather stretched into neighboring Uttar Pradesh, where winds of up to 70 kilometres (43 miles) an hour buffeted India's most populous state.

"Fifteen people were killed by overnight lightning and high speed winds," said T.P. Gupta, an official from the Uttar Pradesh disaster management department.

Another 10 people were injured, some with burns after being struck by lightning, he added.

Many in rural India sleep outdoors during the summer to escape the searing heat.

Nearly 200 people have died in Uttar Pradesh this month alone as strong winds and sandstorms brought down walls and electricity poles.

In Jharkhand, east of Bihar, 13 people died and six were injured in violent weather overnight, said Sushil Kumar, the head of the state's disaster management department.</s>At least 46 people were killed as storms and lightning struck parts of northern and eastern India, officials and news reports said Tuesday.

The Monday night storm, accompanied by high-speed winds and light rain, felled trees and electricity poles and brought down roofs and temporary structures.

Nineteen people died in the eastern state of Bihar, with 11 of the deaths due to lightning strikes, according to the state disaster management agency.

In neighboring Jharkhand, 12 people were killed and 28 injured due to lightning, media reports said.

In the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, 15 people died, officials at the state relief control room said.

Most of the deaths were due to collapsing houses and lightning strikes, the officials said.

The weather bureau has forecast storms in some parts of Uttar Pradesh until Wednesday.

Summer dust storms accompanied by strong winds are common in India ahead of the rainy monsoon season.

Over 180 people died earlier this month as powerful storms ravaged several states, including Uttar Pradesh, which accounted for most of the deaths.</s>Disaster management officials in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand states said a combined total of 47 people had died in overnight storms across the region.

Bihar was the worst hit, pounded by strong winds and thunderbolts.

"At least 19 people have been confirmed dead. 11 of them due to lightning," Yoginder Singh, a state disaster management official, told AFP.

The wild weather stretched into neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, where winds of up to 70 kilometres (43 miles) an hour buffeted India's most populous state.

"Fifteen people were killed by overnight lightning and high speed winds," said T.P. Gupta, an official from the Uttar Pradesh disaster management department.

Another 10 people were injured, some with burns after being struck by lightning, he added.</s>Storms kill at least 47 as India temperatures mount

Fierce storms which swept across northern India have killed at least 47, taking the death toll from freak weather over the past month to several hundred, officials said Tuesday.

The storms and lightning strikes toppled walls and power pylons or electrocuted victims, as temperatures in India rose as high as 48.6 Celsius (119.5 Fahrenheit).

Disaster management officials in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand said 47 people had died in night-time storms that swept across the region.

Bihar was the worst hit, pounded by strong winds and thunderbolts.

“At least 19 people have been confirmed dead. 11 of them due to lightning,” Yoginder Singh, a Bihar state disaster management official, told AFP.

The wild weather extended into neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, where winds of up to 70 kilometres (43 miles) an hour buffeted India’s most populous state.

“Fifteen people were killed by overnight lightning and high-speed winds,” said T.P. Gupta of the Uttar Pradesh disaster management department.

Another 10 people were injured, some with burns after being struck by lightning, he added.

Many people in rural India sleep outdoors in summer to escape the searing heat, making them more vulnerable to storms.

Nearly 200 people have died in Uttar Pradesh this month in powerful sandstorms. Scores have died in other states.

In Jharkhand east of Bihar, 13 people died and six were injured in violent weather overnight, said Sushil Kumar, the head of the state’s disaster management department.

The Indian Meteorological Department has warned that more storms and heavy rain could hit Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in the next two days.

Extreme heat has also gripped many parts of India, with a high of 48.6 degree Celsius recorded Monday in Khajuraho in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.

In Delhi and much of northern India, daytime temperatures have been above 40 Celsius for the the past week.

Weather experts said there would be some respite this week after the annual monsoon season began in the southern state of Kerala on Tuesday. The monsoon will gradually move north.

Storms are customary during the summer months but the intensity and death toll has been higher than normal this year.</s>In the past two days, at least 48 people in northern India have died in pre-monsoon storms, prompting what a government official called a “critical situation.”

The fatalities were caused by lightning as well as strong winds and heavy rain that lashed rural areas, bringing down trees and walls, TP Gupta, project manager at Uttar Pradesh’s Relief Commissioner’s Office told CNN.

Sixteen lives were claimed in Uttar Pradesh state alone, while in hardest-hit Bihar 19 people died, 11 because of lightning.

These fatalities follow at least 200 storm-caused deaths in April and May, according to Gupta.

Authorities have tried to limit casualties by airing alerts on local television channels and by sending area officials to warn residents, especially in remote communities.

Pratyaya Amrit, principal secretary of Bihar’s Disaster Management Department, told CNN that the “situation was critical.”

Lightning strikes have killed more than 2,000 people in India every year since 2005, according to India’s National Crime Statistics Bureau. This past April, lightning struck the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh 36,749 times in just one night.

While the north contends with turbulent pre-monsoon weather, the annual rainy season, which typically runs from June to September, has already arrived in the south of the country, as of Tuesday. According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the showers hit the country’s southern coast three days ahead of schedule.</s>Much of France is enduring some pretty extreme weather right now.

Violent storms have lashed the country for days and set to continue. Indeed May 2018 has seen the biggest number of lightning strikes make contact with the ground in France in just one month since the year 2000s.

In all there has been 110,000 lightning strikes so far this month. Each strike is loaded with an electric charge of around a million volts, or the equivalent of 100 million light bulbs.

Every year in France, lightning strikes 100 to 200 people, with 10 to 20 deaths annually, according to the French lightning protection association (Association Protection Foudre).

The association notes that victims who escape death can suffer serious burns and psychological shock.

Two years ago, ten children and one adult were struck by lightning in a Paris park, with six of them seriously hurt.

The risk of getting hit goes up with the temperature, so it's especially important to be vigilant now that warmer weather has arrived in France.

Here's some advice on the best ways to stay safe in a lightning storm.

It might not sound like incredible advice, but paying attention to the weather forecast is the best way to avoid getting caught in a dangerous storm. If lightning is forecasted, you might need to change your plans and ditch the picnic on the park.

On Wednesday some 39 departments were laced on storm alert. Check which areas are affected HERE.

The number one advice in case of an electrical storm is to get inside a house. While inside, the APF says to avoid using corded phones or electrical equipment, don’t wash your hands or take a shower, stay away from windows, and do not lie on any concrete floors until the storm is over.

The importance of heading inside at the first opportunity was seen in July 2013, when a German man was killed when sitting on a terrace in a Corsican village. Electricity was conducted by a metal ramp and struck the man, who could not be saved by medics.

Stay away from water and open spaces

Experts say to stay away from water (a conductor of electricity) and open spaces, such as beaches, in the event of a storm.

If you’re caught in an open area and can’t find shelter, crouch down in a ball-like position (do not lie down) to get yourself low to the ground while also touching the ground as little as possible.

In July 2013 a beachgoer was killed at a Riviera resort after being struck by lightning.

Steer clear of trees and other tall objects

The APF stresses the importance of staying away from trees. In fact, tall objects in general attract lightning and should be avoided. The taller the object, the likelier it is to be hit by lightning.

If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of being in the middle of the forest in a thunderstorm, the best course of action is to get yourself as far as possible from the trunks and avoid low-hanging branches.

Certain outdoor activities are especially hazardous if there’s a lightning storm. Any activity in an open area or that puts you into contact with water or metal is strongly advised against. So that means fishing, swimming, boating, cycling, and golfing are out until the storm is over.

Downpours and hail storms, not to mention the lightning also make being outdoors risky during a storm.

Get in your car

Although it might seem counterintuitive because they’re made of metal, cars are considered safe places to be in lightning storms, according to the wikiHow website.

If struck by lightning, the electricity will conduct around the body of the car to the ground, the website says.

But be aware that driving in a storm is ill advised due to the risk of flash floods.

If you’re in a group of people, spread out until you’re at least three metres away from anyone else to avoid an electrical current traveling between group members.

Getting a little wet is far preferable to getting fried by lightning. Flying kites and carrying other objects that could act as a conductor of electricity (golf clubs, bicycles, etc) are also bad ideas. Your cell phone, on the other hand, is too small to attract lightning.

So next time you’re caught in a lightning storm, think of these tips and definitely don’t plan on a game of golf or a trip up the Eiffel Tower.</s>Stunning images have been captured of the weekend's thunderstorms.

CoventryLive readers have shared some of the images they took during the storms which hit on Sunday morning and afternoon.

The early morning images show how the night sky was eerily lit-up by forks of lightning.

Many households reported being woken by the thunder and lightning, and the storms continued yesterday afternoon, with the sky being brought to life with huge bolts of lightning.

Loud rumbles of thunder prompted many to watch the 'show' from Mother Nature from the comfort of their homes but others, including those at the Big Weekender in Memorial Park, were left dancing in the room.

While thunder and lightning is not expected today, there are flood warnings for some parts of the area.

Share your lighting images with us.

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At least 50 people are reported to have died amid heavy thunder and lightning storms in northern India.