At least 15 lives were lost while nine people were injured in a dust storm that swept various parts of Uttar Pradesh on Friday evening.

A UP government spokesperson on Saturday said that most of the deaths were caused due to falling of trees and house collapse.

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Moradabad bore the brunt of the storm, with as many as seven deaths reported from the district, followed by three deaths from Sambhal, the state government spokesman said.

Two deaths were reported each from Muzaffarnagar and Meerut, while one death was reported from Amroha, he said.

Four persons were injured in Amroha, three in Moradabad and two in Muzaffarnagar.

The state government has directed all district magistrates to distribute relief within 24 hours.

Meanwhile, although it was clear sky for the national capital on Saturday, the Met issued storm warnings as the minimum temperature was recorded at 26.6 degrees Celsius.

Sudden dust storms late on Friday in Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad brought down the surging mercury by one notch below the season’s average.

“The sky was mainly clear in the morning. However, there is possibility of dust storms and thunderstorms towards the afternoon and evening,” an India Meteorological Department official forecast for the National Capital Region.

The humidity at 8.30 am was 54 per cent.

The maximum temperature was likely to hover around 42 degrees Celsius.

Maximum temperature on Friday settled at 42 degrees Celsius, one notch above the season’s average while the minimum temperature was recorded at 30 degrees Celsius, three notches above the season’s average.

(With agency inputs)

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