IMD issues 72 hours warning about thunderstorm

After a dust storm hit the national capital early Wednesday, India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for next 72 hours anticipating similar weather conditions across large parts of north India including Delhi.

According to the warning bulletin issued in the morning, "Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds (with speed 50-70 kms) very likely at isolated places over Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh."

The same predictions have been made for tomorrow at isolated places over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

Police said that an 18-year-old man was killed and 13 people injured in the dust storm that hit the city in the early hours today.

The Police Control Room (PCR) received 78 calls during the storm that started around 3 am.

As many as 59 calls about fallen trees, five calls about fallen electricity poles and 11 calls about hoardings/wall collapse were received by the PCR, police said.

Also, four calls received were about damages to cars in the dust storm. Fourteen vehicles - 13 cars and a motorcycle - were damaged in it, the police said.

As many as 80 people were killed in five states due to thunderstorms and lightning strikes since May 13, with the northern state of Uttar Pradesh alone recording 51 deaths, the Home Ministry said on Monday.

Meanwhile, the temperature in the morning was recorded at 25 degrees Celsius and generally cloudy sky with light rain or drizzle is expected, a MeT official said.