Lightning fatalities and their correlation with geophysical factors in the Ganga Basin during the period of 2002–2021

Lightning is the most dangerous hazard that causes the greatest number of fatalities in flat regions worldwide. The present study conducted in the Ganga basin analyzed lightning fatalities and their correlation with various geophysical factors such as lighning flashes, radiance, τ value (the energy of the lightning per unit area), aerosol optical depth (AOD), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), cloud top temperature (CTT), and elevation datasets from the years 2002 to 2021. The study found that although lightning radiance and lightning flashes were decreasing, there was a rising trend of lightning fatalities. The highest frequency of lightning events occurred during the monsoon period (48%), followed by pre-monsoon (41%), post-monsoon, and winter. It also revealed that the AOD, NO2, and CTT were increasing. Lightning areas are highly correlated with elevation. The lower part of the basin is the most vulnerable zone due to its high population density. Some areas in the north and center of the basin also recorded high lightning events. The high concentration of particles and high CTT led to the formation of low-level and shallow clouds, with a minimum number of water droplets containing the maximum number of particles. Furthermore, the rising τ value was found to be a significant factor in causing a high fatality rate.