JAIPUR/LUCKNOW: More than 100 people were dead and at least 200 injured after dust storms and lightning strikes caused havoc in northern states of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday and Thursday. Both the states are likely to witness another gust of dust storm and thundershowers in the next 48 hours, warned the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Other parts of the country will also experience rains accompanied with thundershowers and squalls, it added.
Another 10 people were killed as heavy rains lashed Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on Thursday, officials said.
Heat wave conditions were observed in Rajasthan with the maximum temperature reaching above 44°C at most places in West Rajasthan. “The highest maximum temperature of 47.0°C was recorded at Phalodi (West Rajasthan) on 1st May 2018 in the plains of the country during the week,” said the Met Department.
The conditions will continue across West Rajasthan and Maharashtra’s Vidarbha on next week.
Apart from Rajasthan and UP, thunderstorm accompanied with squall was reported from several eastern and north-eastern states.
Moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal and from North India also led to the formation of storm clouds and widespread thundershowers across East India, Gangetic plains, southern India and Central India.
Over the next two weeks, widespread rains accompanied with thunderstorms and squalls are likely to occur across Jammu amd Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. “Isolated to scattered rainfall with isolated thunderstorm/duststorm is also likely Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan during many days of 1st week,” said the Met department.
Temperatures will soar above 40°C across plains in northwest India and Central and adjoining east and south Peninsular India next week. Temperatures are further likely to rise in the following week.
Districts in coastal Andhra Pradesh will also continue to receive heavy rain and thunderstorms.
Delhi, on the other hand, may see strong surface winds during the daytime towards Sunday, the IMD said. Delhi, that saw 14.4mm rainfall over past 24 hours, recorded a maximum temperature of 35.2 degrees on Thursday, three notches below the season`s average. The minimum temperature was recorded at 19.8 degrees, five notches below the season`s average.
A storm barrelled through a swathe of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, killing at least 109 people in a trail of destruction that brought down mud houses, uprooted trees and flattened crops, officials said.
Nearly 200 others were injured as a massive dust storm last night, followed by thundershowers, snapped power lines and sent tin roofs and street hoardings flying in parts of eastern Rajasthan and the adjoining areas of Uttar Pradesh.
Seventy-three people were killed in UP and 91 injured, officials said. In Rajasthan, 36 died and another 100 were injured as winds over 100 kmph hit the region around 7 pm.
The worst period lasted about 45 minutes, according to reports from Dholpur in Rajasthan.
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