The death toll from powerful storms that swept across India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh has risen to at least 111, according to government officials, after more districts reported casualties from severe weather earlier this week.
Strong winds, lightning and heavy rainfall battered the state on Wednesday, causing widespread destruction across several districts. Television footage showed uprooted trees blocking roads, damaged buildings and tin roofs being torn from homes by intense gusts.
Read More: Deadly storm kills over 100 in India’s Uttar Pradesh
Officials from the state’s Relief Commissioner’s office had initially reported 89 deaths and 72 injuries, along with damage to more than 200 homes. However, updated figures released on Friday raised the number of fatalities to 111 as additional reports emerged.
Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state with more than 240 million residents, frequently experiences intense storms during the summer season ahead of the annual monsoon. Lightning strikes and strong winds are common causes of fatalities during this period.
Authorities have instructed local officials to distribute financial compensation and relief assistance to families affected by the disaster.
Indian media widely circulated a video appearing to show a man being lifted into the air after a powerful gust caught a sheet of metal roofing in Bareilly district.
The man, identified as labourer Nanhe Ansari, later told local media he was helping secure a tin roof when sudden high winds lifted both him and the sheet metal into the air.
According to his account, he was thrown a significant distance before landing in a flooded maize field, surviving the incident despite believing he would not make it.
Weather experts have increasingly warned about rising extreme weather events across India, including more frequent thunderstorms, lightning strikes and heat-related disruptions.
Read More: 33 villagers killed in lightning storm in northern India
India’s meteorological authorities have linked these changes to rising temperatures and shifting climate patterns, which are contributing to more unstable atmospheric conditions.
The storms that hit Uttar Pradesh were part of broader pre-monsoon weather activity affecting northern India this week.
Rescue and recovery operations remain under way in affected districts as officials continue to assess property damage and monitor weather conditions for further risks.