Two persons were struck dead by lightning in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram respectively as heavy rain associated with thunderstorms, lightning and heavy gales lashed parts of the north coastal region in the early hours of Friday.

D Ramanaidu (50) of Maddivalasa village of Vangara mandal of Srikakulam district was struck by lightning while he was returning home from the outskirts of his village. Similarly, lightning struck V Ramakrishna (40) of Gudivada village in Balijipeta mandal, Vizianagaram district, while he was ploughing his field.

A large number of trees were also uprooted due to the heavy winds that blew at a speed of 70 to 80 km per hour.

India Meteorological Department (IMD), Hyderabad, forecast possible thunderstorms at isolated places in all coastal districts on Saturday. The forecast is attributed to an upper air cyclonic circulation that lay over south-west Bay of Bengal and adjoining West-central Bay of Bengal off coastal Andhra Pradesh extending between 2.1 and 5.8 km above mean sea level.