At least 56 dead in India’s Uttar Pradesh after floods and landslides triggered by days of heavy rain

Lucknow, India - Heavy rain triggered floods and landslides in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, claiming at least 56 lives over the past three days, according to a government disaster agency report released today. With a population of more than 240 million, Uttar Pradesh is frequently subjected to rain and thunderstorms during its annual monsoon season, which runs from June to September.

The latest fatalities occurred during a period of "exceptionally heavy rain that has affected much of Uttar Pradesh," according to the Relief Commissioner's office.

More than 1,000 houses were damaged following a depression over the Bay of Bengal that moved inland and intensified rainfall across the region, the statement added. India's weather office has raised concerns in recent years regarding an uptick in extreme weather events, such as intense thunderstorms and lightning, which experts attribute to rising temperatures and shifting climate patterns.

The Relief Commissioner's office reported that the state experienced 66.5 millimeters of rain between Friday and Sunday, nearly triple the seasonal average of 7.6 millimeters.