Heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds are expected to lash large parts of coastal Andhra Pradesh and the state's Rayalaseema region, as authorities issued a 5-day alert.
"Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds very likely to occur at isolated places in all the districts Heavy rain very likely to occur at isolated places in all the districts," the warning by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) states.
The alert which was issued on June 3, is in place till June 7, with IMD officials attributing the rain to cumulonimbus clouds.
Cumulonimbus clouds are commonly known as thunderclouds that can produce hail, thunder and lightning. They are born through convection often growing from small cumulus clouds over a hot surface, and also form along cold fronts as a result of forced convection, where milder air is forced to rise over the incoming cold air.
The state saw pre-monsoon showers in several districts on Sunday, which brought down the temperature and provided respite from the sweltering heat.
The IMD said that very heavy rain occurred at isolated places in the districts of Anantapur and Kurnool in Rayalaseema with showers also lashing isolated places in the districts of Nellore and Krishna of Coastal Andhra Pradesh on Sunday.
The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) also issued alerts for lightning strikes in the districts of Chittoor, Nellore, Anantapur, Prakasam and a few others.
Earlier this week, at least five people were killed and several injured after thunderstorms and lightning strikes struck Guntur district.
One farmer, identified as Chinnapureddy Siva Reddy, was killed in a lightning strike when he took his buffaloes out to graze in the fields. Visuals of the incident also showed two buffalo lying dead in a field.
Last month, district officials in Guntur, Prakasam, Krishna and Nellore were kept on their toes after the APSDMA alerted them over ‘heavy thunderstorm activity’ expected in the four districts.
Lightning strikes and who is more vulnerable
When lightning strikes the ground or an object on the ground, the discharge occurs in and along the ground surface (not deep into the ground). This creates a dangerous and potentially deadly ground current near the lightning strike.
A lightning strike depends on many factors. Some places are more vulnerable to strikes than others due to the speed of the storm. Lightning need not always strike the highest given point in any area.
According to experts, anyone standing on a high ground, in an open space, near water or near large metallic structures or trees are more vulnerable to lightning strikes.