Dust storm, showers bring respite from searing heat

Amritsar, June 6

Dust storms followed by light showers in isolated areas of the region have brought relief to residents, cooling down the city from an intense heat wave prevailing until last night. However, some trees were uprooted but no loss of life or casualty was reported. The city witnessed a dip in temperature and the weather last night was pleasant. Even the day temperature witnessed a dip of 5 degree Celsius. The highest temperature recorded today was 39 degree Celsius while it was 42 degree Celsius on Tuesday.

The wind storm stuck the city around 6 pm last evening. A number of trees were either uprooted or broken. Taking precautionary measures, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) switched off power for an hour. As soon as the storm ended, power supply in most areas of the city resumed. PSPCL officials claimed that no major snag was reported in the dust storm.

The residents were seen complaining about the damage to canopies and sheds on rooftops due to dust storm. “There was no prediction of a dust storm. I was in the market when dust enveloped the surroundings. I took shelter in a roadside kiosk. The branches of trees were broken due to the high-velocity wind. Soon after the dust storm, there was a light shower and then the heat wave turned into a cool breeze,” said Aman Preet Kaur Randhawa, a local resident.

“The PSPCL had cut the power supply on bypass road. We were expecting that there would be some major power snag as a storm often damages electricity poles, but luckily, the power supply was restored at around 7.15 pm. The weather conditions have been pleasant in the first week of June. The storm and showers provided a respite from scorching heat. However, it would not sustain much as the temperature is again expected to rise to 43 degree Celsius on Friday,” said Naveen Kumar, another local resident.