Jaipur/New Delhi, May 7: A massive sandstorm hit border districts in Rajasthan on Monday evening even as the India Meteorological Department issued an alert forecasting that several parts of north India could witness thunderstorm and squall on Tuesday with winds gusting up to 50-70 km per hour.
Visuals showed a sandstorm approaching Khajuwala town in Rajasthan’s Bikaner district. Several states were put on alert as the storm hit Rajasthan.
The high-speed sandstorm crippled normal life in border districts of Sri Ganganagar, Hanumangarh and Bikaner as weather turned aggressive between 6 pm and 7 pm due to western disturbance and upper air cyclonic system.
It entered the state from neighbouring country via Khajuwala, Sri Ganganagar, Hanumangarh and Bikaner and is likely to move towards Churu and Jodhpur, a state Met official said.
The India-Pakistan international border was overcast with dark black sand particles suspended in atmosphere, reducing the visibility to zero.
This was followed by thundershowers, bringing respite to people from blistering heat in the three districts.
There was no report of any human or livestock loss so far. The state government has made elaborate security arrangements and taken measures to meet any eventuality in storm-prone districts.
In a storm last week, 35 people were killed and 251 were injured in Alwar, Bharatpur, Dholpur and Jhunjhunu districts.
Meanwhile, the Delhi government has ordered closure of all evening schools (second shift) on Tuesday in the wake of IMD warning about thunderstorm.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by chief secretary Anshu Prakash to review preparedness in the wake of the warning.
Earlier in the day, the IMD issued an amber-coloured alert, indicating severe weather, for parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh, western Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim and West Bengal.
Several parts of these states could witness thunderstorm and squall with winds gusting up to 50-70 km per hour, the alert said.
Sourced from The Tribune
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