Thunderstorm Alert: IMD warns of fresh bout of storm in Delhi, UP and other nearby states today
After killing 134 people and leaving over 400 injured in five states earlier this month, moderate thunderstorm with gusty winds likely to hit Delhi and adjoining states beginning Sunday, according to the Indian Meteorological Department.
The predicted fresh set of thunderstorm owes to a western disturbance, a weather system often associated with rainfall in the northern part of the country.
A severe weather warning has been issued for the western Himalayan region of Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh for Sunday and Monday.
The Met department also warned of thunderstorms and dust storms in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday. Earlier this week, the state witnessed 18 deaths due to a storm.
On Wednesday, five people died in Etawah district, three each in Mathura, Aligarh and Agra, two in Firozabad and one each in Hathras and Kanpur Dehat. Twenty-seven others were injured.
Earlier, on May 2-3, a storm killed 134 people and injured over 400 in five states. Uttar Pradesh then bore the brunt with 80 deaths, most of them in Agra district.
A Met office spokesperson said on Saturday that the forecast for Sunday is rain, thunderstorms and dust storms, with gusty winds at isolated places.
The state government has given families of those killed in Wednesday's storm Rs 4 lakh each as compensation. The loss to farmers not covered by the crop insurance scheme is being estimated.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had directed officials to speed up relief operations. Ministers-in-charge and district magistrates were asked to visit the affected districts.
