Gusty winds sweep Jaipur, Ajmer

Strong winds swept Jaipur and Ajmer all through Monday night and continued on Tuesday morning, affecting normal life. No casualties have been reported so far.

A dust storm hit Bikaner and nearby regions on Monday night followed by heavy winds in Ajmer and Jaipur on Tuesday morning. According to the weather department, heavy winds are expected between noon and 6 pm. In the wake of weather warnings, the district collectors of Jaipur and Ajmer issued warnings and asked people to stay indoors.

The Met department has warned that thunderstorm accompanied with squall and winds with speed of 50-70 kmph may hit isolated places in Sikar, Ajmer, Nagaur, Jaipur, Dausa, Alwar and Tonk districts on Tuesday.

Earlier on Monday, the Met department predicted fresh winds and thunderstorms for the next 24 hours following which it had alerted at least 26 of the 33 districts in Rajasthan.

With the prevailing upper air cyclonic circulation, the districts, including Sawai Madhopur, Ajmer, Bhilwara, Bundi, Dausa, Dholpur, Jaipur, Jhalawar, Jhunjhunu, Karauli, Kota, Rajsamand, Sawai Madhopur, Sikar, Sirohi, Tonk, Bikaner, Churu, Hanumangarh, Jaisalmer, Jalore, Jodhpur, Nagar, Pali and Sriganganagar, are likely to witness dust storm and thunderstorms in the next couple of days.

On the intervening night of May 2 around 36 people lost their lives and nearly 200 were injured after a high-intensity dust storm and thunderstorm rocked the desert state.