Dust storm lowers visibility in Gurgaon, rain follows

The visibility was lower than normal in the city on Friday afternoon after a dust storm and light rain.

Gurgaon

The dust storm and rain brought much needed respite from the scorching heat on Friday. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

The visibility was lower than normal in the city on Friday afternoon after a dust storm and light rain.

The minimum temperature was recorded at 26.8 degrees Celsius and the maximum at 43.2 degrees Celsius on Friday.

The India Metrological Department said that in the next few days, the sky will remain clear in the morning and become partly cloudy in the afternoon. Thunderstorms are likely in some areas of Gurgaon.

“There has been a continuous fluctuation in temperature in the last few days. Also, because of the dusty conditions, we are having difficulty in breathing. Even the visibility has reduced today (Friday),” Anuradha Bhalla of Gurgaon, said.

The dust storm led to power outages in several areas such as DLF Phase 3, Sector 14, Sushant Lokh and South City Part 1.

“Only 10 minutes after the dust storm, we had a power cut in our block. It is becoming a routine for us to sit without electricity for hours after a five-minute-long storm or rainfall in Gurgaon,” Prayag Jain of Sushant Lok said.

Doctors said that the sudden change in weather and frequent dust storms have led to a 20% increase in respiratory ailments reported in the city. They said children and elderly are the most affected.

“People are increasingly complaining of respiratory and breathing issues, and frequent dust storms are one of the reasons behind this. Patients suffering from asthma are among the worst affected,” Dr Ramesh Dhankhar, chief medical officer, Gurgaon, said.