Bhopal, Jul 12 (IANS): At least 47 people in Madhya Pradesh have been killed due to lightning strikes in a span of just a week, while 111 others lost lives in the last one-and-a-half months, officials said on Tuesday.

State capital Bhopal has alone reported around 7,000 lightning strikes, according to scientists at Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhopal.

Heavy rainfall since Sunday has thrown normal life out of gear in several parts of Madhya Pradesh, particularly Bhopal, and Chhindwara district.

Sausar in Chhindwara reported heavy rainfall, causing flash floods in low-lying areas, forcing closure of traffic on the main highway linking the town to Nagpur for around an hour.

Bhopal recorded 92 mm rain since Monday night, which was 133 per cent more than the same period last year. According to data released by the Met department on Monday, out of 52 districts of Madhya Pradesh, 27, including Bhopal had reported excess rain and seven districts reported normal rainfall.

The state Health Department has issued guidelines for preventive measures and emergency services for people hit by lightning, storm and weather related disasters.

Deputy director (disaster management) of the state directorate of health services, Pragya Tiwari, came out with the guidelines for chief medical and health officers and civil surgeons of the all the districts, detailing the steps to be taken to prop up emergency services and the precautionary measures that could be disseminated to the public.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted a video by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on precautions against lightning. "Monsoon is active in Madhya Pradesh and rainfall is being experienced in many areas. In such weather, there is apprehension of accidents due to lightning. Simple precautionary measures against lightning have been mentioned in this interesting video by NDMA," Chouhan said in the tweet, expressing gratitude to the authority for the initiative taken to create awareness.