Dust storm in Delhi warning: What IMD forecast says

The Capital should brace itself to witness thundershowers on Tuesday that will be accompanied with squally winds between 50-70 kmph, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its evening forecast on Monday. Following the Met’s forecast, the government also announced the shutting down of afternoon schools on Tuesday as a precautionary measure while the Haryana government had already ordered on Sunday that schools should be shut in Monday and Tuesday. 

Since last week, North, Northwest, Vidarbha and North East India has witnessed thundershowers while Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) has seen intense dust storms, too. The IMD’s forecast also said that thunderstorms were going to occur on Tuesday at various places across Punjab, Bihar, west Madhya Pradesh, east Uttar Pradesh, east Rajasthan, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, coastal and south interior Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

“There will be thunderstorm, rains and squally winds on Tuesday. The likelihood of this weather activity is more in the morning and afternoon. There is a low possibility of a dust storm,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, senior scientist, IMD, Delhi.

The intense dust storm and thundershowers in North Rajasthan and adjoining districts of Uttar Pradesh killed 130 people last week. The deaths were attributed to due to uprooting of trees, electric shocks, lighting strikes, house collapses and vehicular accidents. 

The Met department said that unlike last week, thundershowers in North and Northwest India would be weaker as prevailing weather systems are different. Last week, convergence of wind and moisture brought in from the Bay of Bengal, the hills in the North and Arabian Sea had triggered the intense storms. However, as of now the western disturbance prevailing over Pakistan and parts of Jammu and Kashmir will be driving factor for the storm, along with a cyclonic circulation that lies over Haryana.