Sun and rain kill 4

• Two people struck by lightning in Srikakulam, two die due to sunstroke in Nellore
• Thunderstorms in North coastal, Chittoor - Mango and cashew crops hit

Visakhapatnam/Srikakulam/ Tirupati: Thunderstorm and lightning accompanied by high velocity winds, lashed Visakhapatnam city, Srikakulam and Chittoor districts on Friday evening bringing the mercury down by a few degrees. Four persons were killed, two by lightning at Sunnada village in Palasa mandal (Srikakulam district) and the other two by sunstroke at Gangavaram in Kovur mandal (Nellore). In Srikakulam district, the untimely rains affected the cashew nut crops in Palasa and Tekkali mandals. In Visakhapatnam city, people suffocating under humid conditions felt relief with a short spell of rain. The Cyclone Warning Centre officials said the trough of low pressure over the land extending from Chhattisgarh to South Tamil Nadu coupled with cumulonimbus clouds caused the thunder storm. In Chittoor district, the unexpected rains brought cheers to people suffering from summer heat. But it caused huge financial losses to farmers, especially to mango growers and groundnut farmers. It is estimated that the two-day rains resulted in a loss of over one crore rupees to the mango growers in Vadamalapeta mandal.