A study by the Delhi-based RMSI, a global leader in geospatial and engineering solutions, has found that among the 14 districts in Kerala, Kottayam is the most prone to lightning fatalities, followed by Idukki and Ernakulam, especially in the pre-monsoon season (64% between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.). The study also found that males account for around 89% of the total lightning fatalities in India.
Lightning fatalities are significantly more common in the summer than in the monsoon season in Kerala, and the west coast of India than in the rest of the country. The maximum thunderstorm days in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and adjoining parts of Karnataka (west coast of India) are observed during the pre-monsoon season (April–May) than in the monsoon season (June–September). Here, most of the cloud-to-ground flashes from 1998 to 2005 occurred during April–June, with peak activity in May.
About 72% of lightning fatalities in Kerala have occurred in the months of April (21%), May (22%), October (19%) and November (10%). Whereas, in the country as a whole, the maximum number of annual total lightning flash counts occurs in the monsoon season (47.2%), followed by summer (41.5%) and post-monsoon season (7.7%).
