The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a thunderstorm warning for the next few days in parts of northern India. According to the IMD, thunderstorm accompanied by gusty winds is very likely at isolated places over Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and eastern part of Rajasthan on 4 May. The situation is likely to last for many days of the first week.
These regions were severely hit by a sudden dust storm on Wednesday evening which led to the deaths of over 100 people.
According to the MeT Department, thunderstorm and gusty winds will also hit Jammu-Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, north coastal Andhra Pradesh, south interior Karnataka, interior Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Uttarakhand, West Bengal and Sikkim and Odisha will be hit by thunderstorm accompanied with squall at isolated places.
Further, heat wave conditions are very likely to prevail at some parts of west Rajasthan and at one or two pockets over East Rajasthan, Vidarbha, West MP, north Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada.
Heat wave conditions will prevail in west Rajasthan till 5 May. At the same time, heavy rains will hit Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and south interior Karnataka for at least two days till 5 May.
“There is a high probability that winds will intensify in the next 48 hours in Rajasthan, which may lead to another dust storm. It will affect areas of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan border, especially Karauli and Dholpur,” Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) scientist Himanshu Sharma told PTI.
At least 27 people were dead and over 100 injured as a high-intensity squall followed by thundershowers and dust storm hit Alwar, Bharatpur, Dholpur and Jaipur districts of north-eastern Rajasthan on Wednesday evening.
The storm also ravaged parts of western Uttar Pradesh, where the death toll rose to 76 on Friday.
Agra was the worst hit, accounting for at least 43 deaths and injuries to 35 others.
The IMD said that a Western Disturbance (WD) as a cyclonic circulation lies over north Pakistan and a fresh WD is likely to affect Western Himalayan region from 5 May.
A cyclonic circulation lies over Haryana, central parts of south Uttar Pradesh and neighbourhood at lower levels, said the IMD.
Fairly widespread to widespread precipitation very likely to occur over Western Himalayan region (Jammu-Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand) during first week along with thunderstorm accompanied with squall/hail at isolated places many days of the first week.