E-Paper
Dust storms, rain hit northwest India
New Delhi: Squalls at a speed of up to 80 km per hour, dust and hailstorms were reported from the National Capital Region of Delhi, Haryana as well as parts of Uttar
New Delhi: Squalls at a speed of up to 80 km per hour, dust and hailstorms were reported from the National Capital Region of Delhi, Haryana as well as parts of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday because of an active western disturbance.
Western disturbances are low-pressure systems that generally originate over the Mediterranean region and are known to bring winter rain in India. Their intensity reduces in summer when they move to upper latitudes. The maximum temperatures have not risen in most parts of northwest India as they normally do around this time of the year because of consecutive western disturbances and associated clouds and strong winds.
A wind speed of about 72 km per hour was recorded around 5.45 pm at New Delhi’s Safdarjung observatory. “North Delhi, bordering areas like Ghaziabad and Noida, parts of Haryana recorded moderate dust storm activity and hailstorm in some places. We received reports of thunder, lightning and hail from Punjabi Bagh, Rajinder Nagar [Delhi] etc. This is mainly a result of the WD [western disturbance] and induced cyclonic circulation,” said Regional Weather Forecasting Centre head Kuldeep Shrivastava.
“There are reports of regular thunderstorm activity in eastern India also because it is the Kalbaisakhi season there when there is a lot of moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal. In peninsular India, there is thunderstorm activity because of wind discontinuity which happens when winds from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal converge.”
At least 29 people were killed across 15 districts of Uttar Pradesh after rains and hailstorm lashed several parts of the state last Sunday. “There has been hailstorm activity in Telangana, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh earlier in the week. Several people were killed in Uttar Pradesh because of thunderstorms last Sunday. But now the low- pressure area over the Bay of Bengal is gaining strength. The WD and thunderstorm activity in other parts will reduce and temperatures are likely to increase,” said R K Jenamani, senior scientist at India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Maximum temperatures in most parts of north and central India are expected to rise from May 20. Under the influence of the present WD, thunderstorm activity is likely over plains of northwest India during the next two days.
The low-pressure area over the southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining south Andaman Sea now lies as “Well Marked Low- Pressure Area”, according to IMD. It is very likely to concentrate into a depression over central parts of south Bay of Bengal on May 15 and further intensify into a cyclonic storm over the same region by May 16 evening.
Officials have advised fishermen against venturing into Odisha-West Bengal coasts from May 18 onwards and those out at sea to return.
