On April 24, 2025, heavy rain had already killed more than 100 people in India and Nepal over the previous three days, according to Dawn. The deaths were spread across several weather-related disasters, including flooding, lightning strikes and storm damage, making the latest spell of unseasonable rain one of the region’s deadliest short-term weather events of the year.
The biggest toll came in India’s eastern state of Bihar, where disaster officials said at least 82 people had died in rain-related incidents over two days. In Uttar Pradesh, another of India’s most populous states, authorities said 18 people died in lightning and storm-related incidents. In neighboring Nepal, officials reported at least eight deaths from lightning strikes and heavy rain. Together, those figures pushed the regional death toll above 100.
The Indian Meteorological Department had warned of multiple weather hazards, including heatwave conditions in the west and thunderstorms in the east and center. That combination matters because it shows how widespread the pressure on residents was. The same country facing dangerous heat in one region was also dealing with severe storm activity in another, all while the heavier monsoon rains that normally start in June were still weeks away.
According to the report, India’s weather office expected more rain, along with thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds, to continue through Monday. That forecast meant the danger was not over. For local officials, the immediate task was not only responding to the deaths already recorded but preparing for more damage in places where drainage, power and emergency response systems could be stretched again.
The source does not identify all of the individual victims, but the numbers alone show how quickly weather can turn lethal when high-intensity rain is paired with lightning and unstable ground. Flooding can drown roads and fields, while lightning turns open areas into danger zones. In rural districts as well as crowded towns, people can be exposed before warnings are fully absorbed.
The timing is also notable. State-run IMD had said the country was expected to experience a much hotter April, with above-normal temperatures across most of India. That creates an uncomfortable pattern of extremes rather than a single straightforward weather event. High heat, thunderstorms and sudden rain can arrive in the same season, making planning more difficult for people who are trying to work, travel or protect crops and livestock.
For now, the official picture is simple: more than 100 people dead in India and Nepal, with Bihar accounting for the largest share and more rain still on the way. The scale of the deaths makes clear that this was not a routine shower system, but an emergency weather episode with immediate human costs and no guarantee of an immediate break.
The forecast meant officials could not treat the death toll as finished. If thunderstorms continued through Monday, emergency teams would still be dealing with new lightning strikes, new flood damage and the possibility that already hard-hit districts would face another round of losses.
The IMD warning is why crews stayed on alert.
