IMD issues thunderstorm, lightning warning for north, northeast India

New Delhi, April 17

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning saying several parts in north and northeast India may witness thunderstorm, hail and lightning on Wednesday.

The Met department has also issued an amber-coloured warning for parts of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Bihar. An amber-colour warning indicates that authorities have to remain alert for any weather-related exigency.

Several parts of north and central India have been witnessing thunderstorms, dust storms, lightning and heavy rain since Sunday.

On Tuesday, unseasonal rain, dust storm and lightning hit several parts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, leaving 35 people dead and many others injured, officials said on Wednesday.

Madhya Pradesh reported 15 casualties in rain-related incidents, while 10 each were killed in Gujarat and Rajasthan in the overnight rain.

“Thunder squall (wind speed reaching 60-70 kilometres per hour) accompanied by hail and lightning at isolated places are very likely over Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Bihar and Gangetic West Bengal,” the IMD said on Wednesday.

Isolated places over Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, east Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Odisha, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, coastal Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala are “very likely” to witness thunderstorm accompanied by gusty winds reaching 40-50 kilometres per hour, the IMD said.

The Met department has attributed the thunderstorm and lightning to a western disturbance. PTI