9 killed, 30 injured, crops damaged as thunderstorm wreaks havoc in Rajasthan

At least nine people were killed and 30 others injured as a massive storm accompanied by heavy rains and gusty winds wreaked havoc in Rajasthan on Tuesday. While 4 people killed in Jhalawar, one each died in Udaipur, Rajsamand, Alwar, Jaipur and Hanumangarh. In education hub Kota, tonnes of food grain stored in Bhamashah Mandi was spoiled due to heavy rains. Hailstorm in Sri Ganganagar caused severe damage to the crops as harvesting was underway in most areas. Heavy rains and gusty winds up to 50 km per hours speed also brought down the mercury.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning of adverse weather conditions in the state due to the cyclone created above the Arabian Sea and the confluence of moist winds from the Bay of Bengal. The IMD predicted the state would witness another spell of heavy rains accompanied by gusty winds over the next few days.

#Duststorm, #thunderstorm in #Jaipur, #Rajasthan pic.twitter.com/OI6Qtus7DG

— SkymetWeather (@SkymetWeather) April 16, 2019

Meanwhile, several parts of the Delhi-NCR, including Noida and Gurgaon, also witnessed thunderstorm, light rainfall and gusty winds with a speed of up to 50kmph. In Bihar's Katihar, one person lost his life after the roof of a platform collapsed due to the storm.

Private weather forecast agency Skymet has predicted more rains and dust storm in northern states, including Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand.

Do's and Don'ts during a storm:

1. Stay away from storm-damaged areas
2. Listen to local radio/TV stations for updated information or instructions on weather and traffic updates
3. Help children, women, elderly and differently-abled
4. Stay away from fallen trees/power line and report them to nearest tehsil/district headquarters immediately.