Thunderstorm 'very likely' in Uttarakhand, Himachal, Rajasthan, UP today

Parts of Delhi witnessed dust storm coupled with light rains in evening on Tuesday, with MeT keeping an eye on its progression

Dust storms, rain and thunder lashed parts of northern India on Tuesday, uprooting trees and blowing the roofs off homes in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla district but striking with less fury in other places. Normal life was disrupted in parts of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi with the India Meteorological Department predicting more bad weather tomorrow.

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.

The hailstorm triggered traffic jams, snapped power supply, uprooted trees and blew off roofs in parts of Shimla district. Rain water flooded the main roads and entered some buildings in state capital.

In Rajasthan, a dust storm hit places in Jodhpur and Bikaner divisions and isolated areas in Jaipur, Ajmer and Kota regions.

Officials said no loss to life or major damage to property was reported till late evening, on Tuesday.

The Met department said many parts of the state could again see a dust storm or thunderstorm in the next 24 hours.

Strong winds hit Ajmer, Jaipur, Sikar and nearby areas in the morning leaving trees uprooted and sign boards damaged.

Moderate to light rains occurred at places in Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jaipur and Ajmer divisions while the weather remained dry in other divisions, according to the Met department.

Parts of Delhi witnessed a dust storm coupled with a drizzle in the evening, with MeT department keeping an eye on its progress.

Light to moderate rains lashed parts of Punjab and Haryana, including Chandigarh, leading to a sharp fall in temperature. Ambala, Panchkula, Mohali and Patiala were also hit by rain in the two states.

The Met department on Tuesday warned that thunderstorms and squalls with a wind speed of up to 70 kmph are "very likely" in Uttarakhand and parts of eastern India on Wednesday, signalling that the freak weather phenomenon over northern India has moved eastward.

In an advisory, the department said thunderstorms with gusty winds are "very likely" in parts of Himachal Pradesh, east Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand.

It said a similar weather pattern is likely to be witnessed in West Bengal, and in six of the seven northeastern states, except Mizoram.

Thunderstorms and lightning on May 2-3 killed at least 134 people and injured more than 400 in five states, including the hardest-hit Uttar Pradesh, the Home Ministry said on Tuesday. The highest, 80 people, were killed in Uttar Pradesh and nearly 100 others were injured in the state. 
 

Here are the top 10 developments around the IMD forecast of thunderstorm, dust storm, and squall in various parts of the country:

Thunderstorm warning in North India: A dust storm is seen building up over the city of Bikaner on Monday. PTI Photo

1) Dust storm, light drizzle in Delhi; MeT keeps a watch: Parts of the national capital witnessed a dust storm coupled with light rains in the evening on Tuesday, with the Meteorological (MeT) department keeping an eye on its progression and severity.

"A duststorm 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, according to news agency PTI.

The official said that depending on various factors, it was likely to weaken or become more intense later on.

The maximum temperature was recorded at 34.7 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, four notches below normal, while the minimum settled at 22 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the year. The humidity levels oscillated between 54 and 28 per cent.

2) Snowfall, landslide disrupt yatra to Kedarnath, Badrinath shrines for hours: Incessant snowfall since Monday night in Kedarnath and Badrinath, coupled with rains and landslide in Lambagad disrupted pilgrimage to the Himalayan shrines for hours today, with the authorities preventing devotees from moving beyond Linchauli and Bhimbali.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat over the phone to take a stock of the situation and offered all help in case of an emergency.

Nearly half a dozen Congressmen, including former chief minister Harish Rawat, the party's Rajya Sabha MP Pradeep Tamta and local MLA Manoj Rawat were stranded at the shrine throughout the day as the weather was not appropriate to fly choppers on which they were supposed to return, Rudraprayag SP Prahlad Meena told PTI.
 

3) Freak weather phenomenon moving east, thunderstorm, squall likely in Bihar, WB tomorrow: The India Meteorological Department on Tuesday warned that thunderstorm and squall with a wind speed of up to 70 kmph are "very likely" in Uttarakhand and parts of eastern India tomorrow (Wednesday), signalling that the freak weather phenomenon over northern India has moved eastward.

In an advisory, the IMD said thunderstorm with gusty winds are "very likely" in parts of Himachal Pradesh, east Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand.

It said a similar weather pattern is likely to be witnessed in West Bengal, and in six of the seven northeastern states except Mizoram.

The IMD said south-interior Karnataka, north-coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema region of the state, Tamilnadu and Kerala will also witness thunderstorm with gusty winds tomorrow.

The National Disaster Management Authority, too, said thunderstorm and squall are likely to hit 12 states tomorrow.

4) Duststorm hits many places in Jodhpur and Bikaner divisions: A duststorm hit many places in Jodhpur and Bikaner divisions and isolated areas in Jaipur, Ajmer and Kota regions affecting normal life even though no loss of life or major damage to property was reported, officials said. Many parts of the state could again see a duststorm or thunderstorm in the next 24 hours, according to the MeT department.

Gusty winds hit Ajmer, Jaipur, Sikar and nearby areas on Tuesday morning leaving trees uprooted and sign boards damaged.

Moderate to light rains occurred at places in Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jaipur and Ajmer divisions while the weather remained dry in other divisions, according to the Met department.

4) Rains and hail storm hit Haryana's Karnal, Fatehabad and Kurukshetra, according to private weather forecaster Skymet. The power supply has been affected as well, reported India Today. "Light to moderate lightning strikes and thunderstorm patches over North Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand near Chandigarh, Shimla, and Dehradun," Skymet said.

Skymet weather alert for Haryana: Rain and thunderstorm expected in Bhiwandi, Fatehabad, Hisar, Jind, Kaithal, Karnal, Panipat, Rohtak and Sonipar districts during next two-five hours. 


5) IMD issues 24-hr dust, thunderstorm warning in hill states: IMD on Tuesday issued a mild thunderstorm and dust storm warning for the next 24 hours in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh and its neighbouring hill states.

"In the next 24 hours, hill states like Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh will continue to experience thunderstorms as they have experienced yesterday. The activity over Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana and north Rajasthan will reduce as compared to yesterday," said KJ Ramesh, Director General, IMD.

A high-intensity dust storm hit New Delhi and Haryana on late Monday night.

The high-speed winds hit the national capital and adjoining areas in NCR - including Gurgaon and Noida, prompting authorities to issue advisory.

6) Thunderstorm warning for Southern states of India:

Day 1(08-05-2018):Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds is likely to occur at isolated places over interior Tamil Nadu, Kerala, South interior Karnataka, Telangana, Rayalaseema and North Coastal Andhra Pradesh.

Day-2(09-05-2018): Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds is likely to occur at isolated places over interior

Tamil Nadu Kerala, South Interior Karnataka, Rayalaseema and North Coastal Andhra Pradesh.
 

For next 48 hrs: The sky condition is likely to be partly cloudy. Maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to be around 37 and 29 deg Celsius respectively.

7) Thunderstorm and squall in North India, Bengal and Sikkim today: The IMD has issued an alert forecasting that several parts of North and East India could witness thunderstorm and squall on Tuesday with winds gusting up to 50-70 kilometres per hour. The IMD issued an amber-coloured alert, indicating severe weather, for parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh, western Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, and Sub­Himalayan West Bengal. 

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).  

Thunderstorm, squall and hail in Himachal and Uttarakhand today: The IMD has forecast that thunderstorm, accompanied by squall (wind speed reaching 50-70 kmph) and hail, are very likely on Tuesday at isolated places over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.  

IMD Director Manmohan Singh told news agencies on Tuesday that heavy rains and snowfall can be expected in Himachal Pradesh in the next 24 hours. "Keylong's maximum temperature has dropped to 3.5 degree celsius. The temperature here in Shimla has dropped 4-5 degrees below than the normal temperature," he said.

8) Delhi government orders closure of evening schools: Following the warning of thunderstorms, squalls, and gusty winds in many parts of India, the Delhi government on Monday said that all city schools in the afternoon shift will remain closed on Tuesday. The decision was taken in an emergency meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash on Monday evening. "The Delhi government has decided to close all evening schools tomorrow (Tuesday) following warning of heavy rains and thunderstorm. The government said that all evening schools (second shift that starts in afternoon) will be shut on Tuesday," an official statement said.
 

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

The Delhi government has also put search and rescue teams on standby. On Monday, the revenue department of the Delhi government 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.  

9) Plan ahead, use dippers and parking lights while driving, says Delhi Traffic Police: Commuters are advised to plan their journey on Tuesday after checking weather conditions, said the Delhi Traffic Police. The Delhi Traffic Police's advisory states that it has alerted its field formations to be ready to get obstacles such as fallen trees removed.   

Traffic police advisory in short:

A) The advisory has asked commuters to avoid travelling during the storm.

B) Those who are stopping on the road or parking their vehicle have been advised to keep away from overhead electrical wires, tinned roofs, trees, etc.

C) Commuters have been advised to take shelter under concrete structures. Drivers have been advised to use dippers or parking lights while driving.

D) People in need of help can call any Delhi Police helpline number, or call 1095, 25844444, or WhatsApp police at 8750871493, or even tweet at @dtptraffic.

10) Delhi government's list of dos and don'ts: The Delhi government has also issued a list of "dos and don'ts".   

A few of the precautionary measures to be taken during thunderstorms are: 

A) The government has advised citizens to try to stay indoors and stay away from verandas. 

B) To keep a watch on local weather updates and warnings.

C) To ensure that children and animals are inside and unplug unnecessary electrical appliances.

D) To avoid taking a bath or shower or running water for any purpose. "This is because lightning can travel along pipes. Keep away from doors, windows, fire places, stoves, bath-tubs, or any other electrical charge conductors," the advisory stated.

With agency inputs