Lightning fatalities in the Philippines, 2006–2021

Lightning fatalities in the Philippines are analyzed for the first time using data from the Philippine Statistics Authority. A total of 1584 lightning fatalities occurred between 2006 and 2021. The annual number of lightning fatalities decreased from an average of 118 fatalities per year between 2006 and 2013 to an average of 80 fatalities per year between 2014 and 2021. The majority of the fatalities occurred in May to July (56%), during the afternoon, and in provincial areas (95%). About 82% of the victims were male where the most vulnerable group are young males ages 20 to 29 years old. Common activities of the victims include sheltering in non-enclosed infrastructures such as agricultural huts, and doing outdoor laborious work such as farming and fishing. Immediate strategic interventions can focus on raising lightning safety awareness in high-risk areas and among the vulnerable population.