Powerful Dust Storm Wrecks Delhi

Last week, over 124 people were killed across the country in a spate of thunderstorms.
The Quint
India
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A dust storm is seen building up over the city of Bikaner on Monday, 7 May.
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(Photo: PTI)
A dust storm is seen building up over the city of Bikaner on Monday, 7 May.
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India Meteorological Department's Warning For Next 5 Days

The Indian Meteorological Department has issues another weather warning on Thursday for next 5 days. Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Coastal and North Interior Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala are likely to experience thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds.

Toll Rises to 12 in UP Thunderstorm

The toll from a thunderstorm which lashed parts of Uttar Pradesh has risen to 12, officials said on Thursday.

"Four deaths were reported from Etawah, three from Mathura, one death each from Agra, Aligarh, Firozabad and Kanpur Rural last night," Principal Secretary Information Avanish Awasthi told PTI.

One more person died at Hathras, the police said.

9 People Killed in UP Thunderstorms

The thunderstorm lashed parts of western Uttar Pradesh, killing nine people and injuring four others.

Four people died in Etawah district, three in Mathura and one in Agra in mishaps related to this evening's thunderstorm, Principal Secretary Information Avanish Awasthi told PTI.

Another death was reported earlier in the evening from Hathras district, where a 15-year-old boy was struck by lightning while returning from the fields in Mohabbatpura village.

An hailstorm also struck Hathras in the evening. A tree fell on a house in Agra's Etmadpur area, killing one person, Awasthi said. Four people were injured as severe winds and rain lashed parts of Etawah district. Strong winds also hit the state capital.

Awasthi said the district magistrates have been asked to distribute relief among the storm-hit people immediately or latest by the morning of 10 May.

Heavy Rains & Thunderstorm Kills 2 in Mathura, 1 in Assam

Heavy rain, strong winds and hail storm hit the region on Wednesday, 9 May, killing two people.

In Assam, at least one person was killed, and 11 others injured in the thunderstorm which lashed several parts of Kokrajhar earlier in the day.

A photo from heavy rainfall in Assam.

Heavy Rainfall Hits Shillong

Strong winds, accompanied with heavy rainfall hit Meghalaya’s Shillong, reported ANI.

Heavy Rainfall Likely at Isolated Places

Heavy rain very likely at isolated places over Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Tamilnadu, South Interior Karnataka, Kerala and Lakshadweep, said IMD warning.

The National Disaster Management Authority said that the thunderstorm are likely to hit 12 states on Wednesday.

4 Injured in Badarpur Wall Collapse

Three children and a woman were injured when the parapet of a building collapsed in Badarpur area of south east Delhi on 8 May, apparently due to the high-speed winds, a Delhi Fire Service official said.

A call about the incident was received at 9.40 pm, the official said. The injured were rushed to a hospital, he said, adding the affected building was an old structure and the parapet collapsed due to the storm, he added.

Parts of the national capital witnessed a dust storm coupled with light rains in the evening.

"A dust storm entered the city around 8.30 PM. It focused in the Palam area and is moving towards south east part of the city," a MeT department official said.

Search and Rescue Operations on, Rajouri Sanctions Rs 3 Lakh For Assistance to Affected Families

Normal life was disrupted in parts of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting more bad weather on 9 May.

In Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri, hailstorm preceded by heavy rains hit Thanamandi area in the evening, prompting authorities to launch a massive rescue operation, a senior official said.

Rajouri District Development Commissioner Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said there was no immediate report of loss of human life but over 110 small animals, mostly sheep and goats, perished.

An immediate amount of Rs 3 lakh was sanctioned for assistance to affected families, he said. “A massive rescue operation was going on," he said, adding hundreds of vehicles were stranded on the road due to accumulation of debris.

A severe storm, accompanied by hail and rain, hit Shimla and other parts of Himachal Pradesh, while the higher reaches of the state experienced snowfall.

Parts of Delhi NCR Witness Dust Storm Again on Tuesday Night

Several parts of Delhi NCR reportedly witnessed dust storm on Tuesday, 8 May.

The IMD has predicted possibility of heavy rain in the region. Strong wind with dust was reported in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

Earlier in the day, Delhi’s maximum temperature was 34.7 degrees, and the minimum was recorded at 22 degrees Celsius, considered normal for this time of the year, a Met department official said.

Govt Plans Localised, Region-Specific SMS Service to Alert People

The government is planning to launch a localised, region-specific SMS service to alert people about natural disasters, officials said on Tuesday, 8 May.

According to the plan, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) will rope in the India Meteorological Department and telecom service providers to send the alerts free of cost in a particular cluster of village, sub-division or town about impending natural disasters.

“The SMS alert will go to the mobile subscribers of that particular area and it will be a completely localised arrangement. The alert will not go to the nearby village or town which will not be hit by the disaster,” an official privy to the development said.

Thunderstorm Alert in Uttarakhand

Thunderstorm and hailstorm alert issued for Utarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Pithoragarh districts of Uttarakhand for the next few hours.

Uttarakhand, Himachal to Continue to Face Thunderstorms: IMD

In the next 24 hours, hill states Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh will continue to experience thunderstorms as they did on Monday, the Indian Meteorological Department said.

"However, the activity over Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana and north Rajasthan will reduce as compared to Monday, KJ Ramesh, Director General, IMD told ANI.

Strong Winds Sweep Parts of Rajasthan

Gusty winds swept parts of Rajasthan overnight and Tuesday morning, affecting normal life, weather officials said.

No casualties have been reported so far.

Heavy winds hit Ajmer and some areas of Jaipur on Tuesday morning, while a dust storm hit Bikaner and nearby regions on Monday night.

The weather office has forecast dust storm, thunderstorm or light rains in 26 out of 33 districts of the state on Tuesday.

The meteorological department has warned that thunderstorm accompanied with squall and wind speed of 50-70 km/hour may hit isolated places in Sikar, Ajmer, Nagaur, Jaipur, Dausa, Alwar and Tonk districts from 9 am to 11 am on Tuesday.

NDMA's Advisory for the Dust Storm

The National Disaster Management Association (NDMA) issued pointers for preparing for the dust storm.

Dust Storm Causes Damage in Dehradun

Trees and electricity poles were damaged after heavy rain and dust storm at Dehradun’s New Cantt Road.

Two Dead in Ambulance Fire After Dust Storm in Delhi

Two people were killed and one suffered major burns as a fire broke out in an ambulance in Sheikh Sarai area of Delhi after the heavy dust storm late on Monday night, ANI reported.

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Ghaziabad Schools, Colleges Closed on Tuesday

All the public and private schools in Ghaziabad will remain closed on Tuesday in view of the adverse weather.

In an order, District Magistrate Ritu Maheswari told IANS that in view of the forecast for a thunderstorm on Tuesday, private and government schools and colleges shall remained closed.

Flights to and from Delhi Delayed by Dust Storm

At least six arrivals and one departure, scheduled for 7 May at the Delhi airport, were delayed because of the dust storm.

Heavy Rains, Snowfall Predicted in Himachal Pradesh

The Meteorological Department said that heavy rains and snowfall can be expected in the next 24 hours in Himachal Pradesh. It added that the maximum temperature in Keylong has dropped to 3.5 degree Celsius. The director of the MeT department added that the temperature in Shimla has dropped 4-5 degrees below the normal temperature.

Dust Storm Hits Meerut, Trees Levelled in Delhi

The high speed winds resulted in trees falling down at New Delhi’s Cantonment area.

A fallen tree blocks the road in New Delhi’s Cantonment area.

The storm hit Meerut in Uttar Pradesh after midnight. Strong winds and squalls are expected to continue for another hour at least, according to the IMD.

IMD Warns of High Wind Speeds, Storm in Delhi, 9 Flights Reportedly Delayed

According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) a thunderstorm and squall with wind speeds of 50-70 kmph is likely to occur over Delhi and NCR during the next three to four hours.

The Financial Express reported that as many as nine flights from Delhi airport have been delayed.

More videos of the storm from different parts of the capital were shared.

The National Disaster Management Agency also issued an advisory on safety during the storm.

The IMD also said that thunderstorms with light rain & strong winds would occur in various parts of Delhi & adjoining NCR including Rohtak, Bhiwani, Jhajjar Gurugram, Bagpat, Meerut & Ghaziabad in the next two hours.

Dust Storm Hits Delhi and Haryana, Delhi Government Issues Advisory

The storm, with a wind speed of 70 kilometres per hours, hit Delhi around 11:20 pm, an official at the Safdarjung observatory said.

Earlier in the day, the Delhi government decided to close all evening schools on Tuesday and put search and rescue teams on standby in the wake of the meteorological (MeT) department issuing a warning of heavy rain and thunderstorm.

The traffic police has alerted their field formations to be ready to remove obstacles such as fallen trees and asked commuters to check weather conditions before travelling.

A video of the storm from Gurugram was shared by ANI.

The government has also asked other schools to not hold outdoor activities and extracurricular activities between 3 pm to 7 pm during which winds speed is expected to remain high.

The Delhi Government also issued an advisory with a list of Dos and Donts, for safety during the storm:

The advisory issued by the Delhi Government. 
The advisory issued by the Delhi Government. (Photo: ANI)
The advisory issued by the Delhi Government. (Photo: ANI)

The Delhi Metro, too, has decided to exercise extreme caution in the running of trains in the wake of the warning.

Massive Sandstorm Hits Rajasthan’s Bikaner

A massive sandstorm is said to have hit the Khajuwala town in Bikaner district of Rajasthan, as the IMD on Monday warned of severe weather conditions in several parts of the country. The IMD predicted that parts of Rajasthan would be hit by ‘thunderstorms with dust storms’ on Monday.

Delhi Govt Decides to Close Evening Schools on Tuesday, Police Issues Advisory

The Delhi government has decided to close all evening schools on Tuesday, 8 May, following the weather department's warning about heavy rains and thunderstorm, reported PTI.

The government said that all evening schools (second shift which starts from the afternoon) will be shut on Tuesday.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by chief secretary Anshu Prakash to review preparedness in the wake of the warning.

"All evening schools will remain closed tomorrow following the weather warning," a senior government official told PTI on Monday.

In the meantime. the Delhi traffic police also issued an advisory telling the commuters to “keep themselves updated about weather conditions and plan their journey accordingly”.

Apart from advising commuters to not travel during a storm, the police said that it has told the forces on the field to be on alert.

IMD's Weather Forecast Over the Next 5 Days

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a weather forecasting and warning bulletin on Monday, predicting thunderstorms and squall in several parts of the country over the next five days. Here is the daily forecast from 7 till 11 May, showing which states that would be affected by bad weather.

More Thunderstorms Likely to Hit India Till 11 May

The weather office in Delhi warned on Monday, 7 May, that thunderstorms, squalls and gusty winds are likely to hit many parts of India, including Delhi, till Friday even as the mountains of Himachal Pradesh received fresh snowfall.

In a weather warning bulletin, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the states likely to be affected by thunderstorms and gusty winds are Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Odisha, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Karnataka and Kerala.

Thunderstorms and squalls are "very, very likely at isolated places in Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi", the weather office said.

It also warned of duststorm in Rajasthan while heavy rain is expected in six northeast states.

The bulletin also warned of heat wave conditions in "one or two pockets in Vidarbha" in Maharashtra.

The weather office warned of squalls and hail along with thunderstorms in Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.

(Source: IANS)

IMD Issues Weather Forecast and Warning for Next 5 Days

The IMD issued an amber-coloured alert, indicating severe weather, for parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh, western Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim and West Bengal.

Several parts of these states could witness thunderstorm and squall with winds gusting up to 50-70 kilometers per hour, according to the alert.

There are four types of colour codes signifying the level of caution — green (which means no action), yellow (situation to be watched), amber (government agencies to be prepared for severe weather) and red (action needed by the agencies).

Delhi Govt Puts Search, Rescue Teams on Standby

The Delhi government has put search and rescue teams on standby in every district following the meteorological department's warning about heavy rains and thunderstorm.

The revenue department of the government has issued directions to all district officers and said water and power utilities would also keep restoration teams ready .

"The district and sub-district search and rescue teams have been put on standby," a senior official of the department said.

(Source: PTI)

11-Year-Old Killed in UP

On Monday, Mainpuri, Firozabad and Mathura in Uttar Pradesh suffered heavy losses after winds over 100-kmph lashed the districts followed by the hail storm.

In Mainpuri, a 11-year-old girl was killed as a tree fell on her. In Mathura, the squall damaged hoardings, snapped electric lines and uprooted a number of trees.

Haryana Schools Likely to Remain Closed

Haryana Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma directed all government and private schools to remain closed on 7 and 8 May in view of rain and thunderstorm warning by the India Meteorological Department.

Fresh Thunderstroms May Not be as Deadly as Last Time

According to the IMD bulletin, the thunderstorm on 7 and 8 May will not be as deadly or devastating as the one that struck the country last week.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, head of services at IMD, said:

The current meteorological conditions indicate that the oncoming round of thunderstorms would not be as strong as we saw in the last week.

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Published: 07 May 2018,09:46 AM IST

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