Massive dust-storm hits several parts of north India; claims two lives in Mathura

A massive dust-storm accompanied with gusty winds and heavy rains hit different parts of Delhi-NCR and Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday.

The dust-storm started in early evening forcing pedestrians to look for shelters and shades in nearby places.

While 2 people killed in Mathura followed by a strong wind on Wednesday, the thunderstorm claimed one life in Assam this morning. 11 people were also injured in the thunderstorm, which lashed several parts of Kokrajhar earlier in the day.

The devastating storm also reduced on-road visibility leading to drivers slowing down and the tourists at the Taj Mahal were mostly caught unawares. They had to rush for covers as soon as the storm arrived.

Visuals of massive dust storm from Agra pic.twitter.com/8ZiQENEd8B

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Meanwhile, Strong winds and heavy rainfall have been witnessed in Meghalaya's Shillong in the late evening on Wednesday.

Read | Thunderstorm warning Highlights: IMD predicts hailstorm, squall in Northeastern states Today

Several areas in north Indian states like Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi have been witnessing dust storms and slight rainfall since last few days.

Earlier in the day, IMD issued a fresh warning saying a thunderstorm with gusty winds was “very likely” to hit the parts of east Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh.

"A similar weather pattern is likely to be witnessed in West Bengal, and in six of the seven northeastern states except Mizoram," the Met department said.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has also predicted thunderstorm and squall in 12 states. Teams of the NDMA were put on alert in wake of the thunderstorm warning.