Yadgir: Heavy rain accompanied by gusty winds, thunder and lightning, lashed several parts of the State killing two people, including a woman, in Kalaburagi on Friday.

Srimant Basavantappa Udumanahalli, 18, was tilling his land in Marpalli village, Chincholi taluk, when lightning struck him. Sharadabai Gireppa Tiligoola, 35, was struck by lightning when she was walking back home from the fields with her husband in Halagundanala village, Sindagi taluk on Friday evening. Tahsildar G S Malagi rushed to the spot and promised Rs 1.5 lakh as compensation to the family.

Sharanamma Laxman Jawali, 45, who was grazing her sheep in an open field in Koralli village, Aland taluk, also fell prey to lightening. Rains lashed Kalaburagi city for about 30 minutes, inundating low-lying areas and derailing normal life.

On the other hand, the downpour brought the much-need relief from the scorching summer heat in districts like Yadgir and Vijayapura.

Heavy rains in Vijayapura, though a boon this summer, have become a bane to farmers, destroying both horticultural and agricultural crops. The fury of the rain coupled with the hail storm uprooted many trees and turned the roads into rivers in spate. Many houses in low lying areas were flooded.

The rains are a cause of anxiety to rural masses, especially farmers who harvested their grape late and those who have put out the fruit for drying to make raisins.