Heavy rains, thunderstorm likely today: What the Met’s colour-coded alerts mean

After the dust storm on Monday night, the Indian India Meteorological Department has issued an amber alert for Tuesday, which means the administration has to remain on alert.

A powerful dust storm swept across north India on Monday night with a wind speed of up to 70 kilometres per hour resulting in low visibility, power disruption and damage to property.

High tension wires in Agra which collapsed in the dust storm on May 2. (PTI Photo)

Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab reported gusty winds and squalls. Tress and electricity poles were uprooted in Dehradun and other areas in Uttarakhand.

The storm came within days of the thunderstorm that hit parts of north and west India on May 2 and left more than 100 people dead.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an amber alert for Tuesday, which means the administration has to remain on alert.

Four colour codes are issued to indicate various categories of alerts. Here is what each alert means:

Green (All is well): No advisory is issued

Yellow (Be aware): Severely bad weather is possible over the next few days, plan ahead thinking about possible travel delays and disruption of day-to-day activities possible. It indicates the weather may change or worsen in the next few days.

Red (Take action): Extremely bad weather is expected. People need to take action to keep themselves and others safe. Widespread damage, travel and power disruption and risk to life are likely. People must avoid dangerous areas and follow the advice of the emergency services and local authorities.