Bengaluru Weather Turns Lethal: Lightning Kills Woman And Her 48 Goats, Ex-Gratia Announced

Bengaluru: An incident occurred in Ganagalu village near Hoskote on the outskirts of Bengaluru on Friday when a woman died in a lightning strike. The deceased, identified as Rathnamma, 55, was struck by lightning while she was grazing her goats around 2 PM. The sudden strike also resulted in the unfortunate death of 48 goats. The Tirumalashetty Halli police have initiated a case of unnatural death in response to the incident.

Rathnamma, survived by her husband and two sons, was a resident of Ganagalu village. In response to the tragedy, the Bengaluru Rural district administration has announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 6 lakh for Rathnamma’s family, with Rs 4 lakh scheduled to be provided on Saturday, as per a TNIE report.

Following the incident, moderate rain accompanied by thunder and gusty winds were experienced in Bengaluru and its surrounding areas in the afternoon. According to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), various parts of the city recorded significant rainfall, with Nayandahalli receiving 29.50mm, RR Nagar 29mm, Maruthi Mandir 26.50mm, Bilekahalli 24mm, and Horamavu 17.50mm. Meanwhile, officials from the India Meteorological Department have forecasted light to moderate rain in the city for the next two days.

Once known as the 'city of lakes,' Bengaluru faced a long dry period of over 150 days. But now, the garden city is finally getting relief from the scorching heat as it experiences a good amount of rainfall. While today's forecast from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) does not predict any rain, the upcoming week promises ample rainfall and thunderstorms.

Looking ahead, the weather forecast for Bengaluru for the coming week shows a mix of conditions. On May 6, the sky is expected to be mostly cloudy with light rain showers. May 7 and 8 will likely have partly cloudy skies with the possibility of occasional rain or thundershowers. This pattern continues into May 9 and 10, with a mix of clouds and chances of rain or thunderstorms. It's best to be prepared for changing weather conditions throughout the week, including cloudy skies and occasional rain or thunderstorms.