Severe thunderstorms and heavy rains battered India and Nepal from April 8 to 11, 2025, killing at least 69 people and injuring 200, as unseasonal weather wreaked havoc across central and eastern regions.
India’s Uttar Pradesh reported 42 deaths, mostly from lightning strikes, while Nepal’s Terai region mourned 27, including 10 children buried in landslides. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded 150 mm of rain in Lucknow, flooding 30% of the city and damaging 1,000 homes. Nepal’s Koshi River overflowed, displacing 5,000 families, with relief camps struggling to house survivors.
Farmers, already hit by 2024’s drought, faced crop losses worth ₹500 crore, per India’s Agriculture Ministry, threatening 15% of wheat yields. Nepal’s government deployed 2,000 troops for rescue, but blocked roads delayed aid, prompting protests in Biratnagar.
The IMD linked the storms to an early monsoon shift, warning of more lightning—India sees 2,500 lightning deaths yearly—until April 15.
Both nations, reeling from 2024’s heatwaves, face calls for climate resilience, with only 10% of rural India insured against disasters. Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and KP Sharma Oli pledged $10 million each for relief, but locals demand long-term flood defenses. As communities bury their dead, the tragedy underscores South Asia’s vulnerability, with 1.5 billion at risk from extreme weather, per a 2024 UN report.