Lucknow/Meerut/Varanasi, May 15 -- At least 111 people died and 72 were injured in 25 districts after hailstorm, heavy rain and lightning wreaked havoc across the state between Wednesday and Thursday morning, according to Uttar Pradesh relief commissioner Hrishikesh Bhaskar Yashod. Officials said the high death toll resulted from a lethal combination of extremely high wind speeds, fragile infrastructure, lightning exposure and the timing of the weather event. Strong winds with velocities ranging from 74 to 130 kmph hit several districts, the met office said. The meteorological office added that the highest wind speed of 130 kmph was recorded in Bareilly and Prayagraj districts. "Thunderstorms or dust storms are not unusual during this season. The unusual phenomenon was its speed which was recorded in excess of 100 kmph at several places," said Mohd Danish, a senior scientist at the Lucknow met office. The met office also said the storm resulted from western disturbances active over Jammu and Kashmir, coupled with cyclonic circulations over western Central Uttar Pradesh. The storm originated from north-west UP and moved towards the state's eastern region, according to the met office. Chandauli was lashed by winds at 113 kmph, Budaun at 109 kmph, Mirzapur and Rampur at 107 kmph and Moradabad at 102 kmph. Unnao and Shamli at 96 kmph, Rae Bareli 94, Rampur at 93 kmph, the met office said. Disaster management officials said such wind speeds dramatically increase the possibility of structural failure, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas where many homes have tin sheets, temporary roofing, ageing brick walls or loosely anchored structures. "The fatalities largely occurred because people were caught in structurally unsafe locations when the storm struck suddenly," a senior official said. The most deaths were reported in Prayagraj (21), Mirzapur (19), Sant Ravidas Nagar (16), and Fatehpur (11), according to data provided by the relief commissioner's office. Reports of 170 livestock losses and damage to 227 houses have also been received from various districts. Officials said the majority of deaths were caused by secondary impacts triggered by violent winds and lightning. These included collapsing walls and roofs, uprooted trees falling on houses and vehicles, electrocution from snapped power lines, and direct lightning strikes in open agricultural fields. The relief commissioner said the situation in various districts is being monitored regularly by the Integrated Control and Command Centre. District magistrates have been directed to launch relief and rescue operations in their respective districts. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognisance of the damage caused by storm, rain, and lightning in Uttar Pradesh. He directed officials to accelerate relief operations, restore power supply and ensure compensation to affected families. The chief minister has directed officials to immediately visit the affected sites, provide assistance to the victims and release compensation, said a state government spokesperson. Ministers in charge of various districts have also been directed to visit their respective districts on Friday to monitor the relief operation, he said. The chief minister also instructed district magistrates to provide updates on the situation every three hours to his office. Information regarding loss of human lives, livestock loss, and crop damage has come from 25 districts, including Barabanki, Bahraich, Kanpur Dehat, Basti, Sambhal, Hardoi, and Unnao. A large number of houses have also been damaged due to the hailstorm and rain, he said. Officials said many victims in eastern and central Uttar Pradesh were outdoors during farming, commuting or market activity when the storm intensified rapidly. Authorities said the timing of the storm also contributed to the scale of casualties. The violent weather developed during active evening movement in many districts, when roads, marketplaces and outdoor work areas remained crowded. Meteorological experts indicated that intense heat build-up over the past several days likely created highly unstable atmospheric conditions, allowing thunderclouds to develop into destructive squall systems capable of generating hurricane-force gusts over land. In Badaun district, five people, including two young girls, lost their lives as collapsing walls, uprooted trees and storm-related accidents wreaked havoc across the Bisauli region. Bisauli tehsildar Surendra Kumar said revenue officials had been directed to assess crop losses, particularly damage to maize and other standing crops, along with property destruction and human casualties. "A detailed report will be sent to the state government, and financial assistance will be provided to affected families according to official guidelines," he said, adding that police and forest department teams were instructed to clear fallen trees and restore traffic movement. Meanwhile, in Sambhal district, two people died in separate incidents in Gangheta village under the Kaila Devi police station area after a fierce storm and heavy rainfall in the region. In Bhadohi, at least 15 people died and eight others were injured due the dust storm that swept across the region on Wednesday evening, district magistrate Shailesh Kumar said. In Sonbhadra, the storm caused the death of three people....