Lightning Kills 499 in China This Year – Reuters

The number of lightning-related deaths is nearly double what it was this time last year. Via CNN.com:

All of the victims were villagers, and 79 percent were working in the fields when they were struck, the official Xinhua news agency said on Friday. About two-thirds died between late June and mid-August.

Large swathes of China have been hit this summer by severe storms and flooding, which have killed hundreds. Other parts have suffered prolonged drought. [Full Text]

The article quotes Zheng Guoguang, head of the China Meteorological Association, as blaming this year’s increase in violent weather on global warming.

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