Fourteen people lost their lives, and 34 others were injured when lightning struck a church in Uganda’s northern Lamwo district on Saturday, according to police reports.
The church is situated within the Palabek refugee camp in Zone 8, Block 2.
Uganda Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke stated that the incident took place around 5:30 p.m., as the victims were gathered for a prayer service.
“The incident took place during a prayer service at a church in Zone 8, Block 2, within the Palabek settlement camp,” Rusoke posted on X on Sunday.
“The victims, whose identities are yet to be confirmed, had gathered for prayers when rain began around 5:00 p.m., and lightning struck at 5:30 p.m.” The post stated.
Common in Uganda
Lightning strikes are common in Uganda, which borders Kenya to the west. In June, a similar incident occurred at a school in Uganda’s northern Nebbi District, injuring 77 pupils.
The students, from various schools, were playing on an open field during a sports competition when they were struck.
In August 2020, lightning also killed 10 children in northwestern Arua city while they were taking shelter in a hut.
The children had been playing when a storm forced them to take cover in a grass-thatched structure, which was then struck by lightning.
Why Uganda
Lightning in Uganda, as in other tropical regions, is primarily caused by a combination of climatic and geographical factors that create ideal conditions for thunderstorms. Here are some key reasons:
- Equatorial Location and Tropical Climate: Uganda lies near the equator, where intense sunlight heats the ground rapidly, causing warm air to rise. This heat, combined with high humidity, creates unstable atmospheric conditions that are perfect for thunderstorms.
- Moisture from Surrounding Water Bodies: Uganda has several large lakes, including Lake Victoria, and rivers that contribute significant moisture to the atmosphere. This moisture helps fuel the development of cumulonimbus clouds—towering thunderclouds that often produce lightning.
- Elevation and Topography: Uganda’s varied topography, with highlands and mountains, creates local weather patterns and atmospheric instability. When warm, moist air is pushed upwards over these higher elevations, it cools, condenses, and forms thunderclouds, increasing the likelihood of lightning.
- Seasonal Weather Patterns: Uganda has two main rainy seasons, during which thunderstorms and lightning strikes are more frequent. These are typically between March and May and between September and November, driven by the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)—a belt of low pressure that shifts north and south with the seasons, bringing rain and storms to equatorial regions.
- Atmospheric Instability: Due to the combination of high heat and moisture, the atmosphere in Uganda is often highly unstable, meaning that warm, moist air rises quickly and leads to the formation of thunderstorms, where electrical charges build up and result in lightning.
These factors combined make Uganda and other equatorial African regions prone to frequent and intense lightning activity.
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