Three people, including two children, died after lightning struck Dumki village in Surguja district, while Bilaspur saw storm damage, power outages and waterlogging after heavy rain and strong winds. The state also continues to face a sharp monsoon deficit, with rainfall still about 66% below normal so far.

In Surguja, 5-year-old Sagar, 9-year-old Rani and 36-year-old Ram Sai were standing under a tree to collect mangoes when lightning struck them, killing all three on the spot. Sagar’s 12-year-old elder sister Shraddha was also badly burnt in the strike and is undergoing treatment.

Bilaspur was hit by thunderstorm activity on Monday evening, flooding several areas and causing major disruption to electricity supply. A large tree fell near the Collector’s bungalow, damaging a parked car, though the people inside escaped unharmed. The fall also snapped electric wires, leaving parts of the city without power for hours, including VIP areas.

Officials said the 11 kV line near the Collector’s bungalow broke, while a 33 kV main line between Tifra and Mopka also failed, worsening the blackout. In another incident, nine insulators on an 11 kV line between Birkona and Chhantidih burst at once, and a current transformer at the Shanikari substation exploded, deepening the outage in nearby localities.

The weather department said light to moderate rain will continue for the next 24 hours, and rainfall activity is expected to intensify across Chhattisgarh from 1 July. Over the next week, several districts may see rain with thunder and lightning, so people have been advised to avoid standing under trees or in open areas during storms.

Raipur is expected to remain cloudy today, with chances of thunderstorms and rain. The city’s maximum temperature may stay around 35 degree Celsius, while the minimum could hover near 25 degree Celsius.

Despite the rain spells, monsoon progress remains slow across the state. By 30 June, Chhattisgarh should normally have received 178.4 mm rainfall, but only 60.02 mm has been recorded so far, leaving the state with a deficit of around 66%.