Dust storm, high-velocity winds and rains accompanied by lightning wreaked havoc in several north Indian states on Sunday evening. In Uttar Pradesh, nine people were killed and 34 injured due to the storm.
One woman was killed and a man was seriously injured after a hoarding fell on them due to the heavy dust storm in Greater Noida. In Ghaziabad, one person was killed and 4 injured after a tree fell on them near Lal Kuan Shiv temple.
Meanwhile, Metro Service from Delhi to Noida, UP, was suspended for the day after a tree fell on the Blue Line. DMRC said that an overhead equipment cable on Blue Line was cut off as a tree fell on it during the storm. This led to the Blue Line operations being terminated.
Sudden dust storm and rain also hit several parts of Punjab and Haryana, including Faridabad and Gurgaon, this evening, pushing temperatures down by a few notches. After hot weather conditions prevailed through the day, the dust storm brought relief to residents in several cities, including Chandigarh, Sonipat, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Karnal, Ambala, Panchkula, Jhajjar, Gurgaon and Faridabad.
Strong winds swept through Haryana as the weather changed suddenly and light rain lashed several areas of the state, a meteorological department official said in Chandigarh. Several parts of Punjab also experienced light rain. Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, earlier today had recorded a maximum temperature of 39.1C, a notch above the normal.
In Haryana, Ambala recorded a maximum temperature of 39.4C, Hisar 41.6C, Bhiwani 41C, Karnal 39C and Narnaul 42.5C. Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala in Punjab, too, registered above normal temperatures of 39.5C, 40.7C and 40C respectively. The Met office has forecast thunderstorm with gusty winds at isolated places during the next two days in Haryana and Punjab. PTI
