Bangladesh declares lightning disaster

Bangladesh has seen a near-record number of deaths this year from lightning strikes, which appears to be worsening with climate change.

So far this year, 261 people have died from lightning, putting the nation on track to beat last year's 265 deaths.

India has seen a similar surge, with 93 people killed just in the past two days, officials said.

The problem has prompted Bangladesh's government to add lightning strikes to the country's list of official types of disasters.

As a result, the government now compensates lightning strike victims or their families with sums between 7,500 and 25,000 taka ($A127.30 to $A424.35).

Through to mid-May the government paid 1.5 million taka in claims this year to families of 81 people who died because of lightning.

Scientists say warmer conditions associated with climate change are causing more water evaporation from the land and ocean, increasing clouds and rainfall and the potential for lightning storms.

During a three-day period in May, 67 people died from lightning strikes in Bangladesh.

Altogether, 1476 people have died from lightning in Bangladesh since 2010, Bangladesh Meteorological Department says.

According to a 2014 University of Berkeley study, lightning strikes are expected to increase by 12 per cent for every degree Celsius of warming, with a 50 per cent rise in lightning expected by the end of the century.

According to Bangladesh's Met Office, prior to 1981, the country saw lightning strikes on average nine days each May, but now sees strikes an average of 12 days.

Experts say the rise in fatal lightning strikes may also be related to the country's population growth and deforestation, which has led to the disappearance of many tall trees that earlier would have drawn lightning strikes.

Now fatalities often involve farmers using metal farm equipment in open fields, or people standing near metal cell phone towers or electrical power towers, experts said.