Delhi staring at another bout of dust storm. Be careful!
Delhi faces a possibility of another bout of dust storm today, even though the skies looked clear in the morning. The Meteorological Department said the dust storms are likely to hit the national capital in the afternoon or evening hours. Delhi received sudden dust storms yesterday late night that brought a certain respite from the scorching heat, with minimum temperature being recorded at 26.6 degrees.
Yesterday's dust storm caused three flight diversions
The MeT department further said the dust storms are likely to be accompanied by thunderstorm and lightning. The thunderstorm will also affect neighboring states, including Uttarakhand, Haryana, and Chandigarh. Gusty winds hit Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad at a speed of 40kmph yesterday, which brought down the mercury from 42 degrees to 35 degrees. Three flights, including a Delhi-bound Indigo flight from Chennai, were diverted.
Delhi's neighbor Uttarakhand received heavy rains, crops damaged
Heavy rains lashed Delhi's neighbor Uttarakhand, with four deaths reported from Mandal village in Chamoli district. Places like Dehradun Uttarkashi, Balkote, Pauri and Tehri in Uttarakhand received both cloudbursts and heavy rains yesterday. Reports suggest that several hectares of crops were destroyed in Ghansali area of Tehri. Officials said five teams of Indo-Tibetan Border Police had to be deployed for rescue operations.
Dust storm killed 15 in UP, high-temperatures in Haryana, Punjab
However, 15 people were killed as strong winds swept across different districts in Uttar Pradesh. Most deaths happened due to wall collapse or tree felling. The Yogi government has ordered district heads to dispatch relief within 24 hours. Meanwhile, Haryana and Punjab faced hot weather conditions, with maximum temperatures remaining above 42 degrees in many places.
