Unseasonal rains, hailstorms kill 5 in Maharashtra, IMD predicts downpours in Gujarat, Bihar

Unseasonal rains, hailstorms kill 5 in Maharashtra, IMD predicts downpours in Gujarat, Bihar

Several parts of the country witnessed unseasonal rains and hailstorms in the last few days, with Maharashtra’s Marathwada region being the worst affected, registering five deaths.

The untimely showers and downpours killed five persons and damaged crops spread across nearly 4,950 hectares in Maharashtra’s Marathwada region, the local administration said on Friday.

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According to a report prepared by the divisional commissioner’s office, an average rainfall of 2.4 mm was recorded in the eight districts of the Marathwada region in central Maharashtra.

Five persons – all from Parbhani district – lost their lives in different incidents related to unseasonal rains and hailstorms that occurred on Thursday (March 16) and Friday (March 17), while 23 other residents of the region were injured, said the report.

The report said 22 large animals and five small ones also perished.

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TWO KILLED IN LIGHTNING STRIKES IN RAJASTHAN

Two people were killed and two injured after being struck by lightning in Rajasthan on Friday, officials said. A man working on a farm died in the Medta area of Nagaur district in a lightning strike. The victim was identified as Shokeen Khan, Medta police station SHO Roshan Lal said.

In Pali district, Jamila, her four-year-old son Sahib and another woman identified as Varjudi had taken shelter under a tree to shield themselves from the rain. Jamila died after the tree was struck by lightning while the other two were injured. They have been admitted to a hospital, Ras police station SHO Omprakash said.

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MET OFFICE ISSUES ‘YELLOW’ ALERT IN 10 HIMACHAL DISTRICTS

A ‘yellow’ alert for thunderstorm, lightning and hailstorm has been issued for March 18-20 in 10 districts of Himachal Pradesh, barring Kinnaur and Lahaul & Spiti, the Met office here said on Friday.

It has also warned of thunderstorms and lightning strikes at isolated places on Tuesday. A wet spell is predicted in the region till Thursday.

LIGHT RAIN IN PARTS OF DELHI

Delhiites on Saturday woke up to light rains, which brought some respite from the warm weather. The national capital recorded a minimum temperature of 18.2 degrees Celsius, two notches above normal, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The relative humidity at 8:30 am was 89 per cent. Several parts of the city received rain. More rain accompanied by thunderstorms is predicted during the day, the IMD said.

MORE SHOWERS ON THE CARDS

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast rains in several parts of northwest, central, eastern and southern India and a consequent fall in temperatures by up to 5 degrees Celsius during the next four days.

The weather office has attributed the rains to a western disturbance. “A western disturbance with a cyclonic circulation lies over Afghanistan and at middle tropospheric levels with an induced cyclonic circulation over southwest Rajasthan at lower tropospheric levels. Another cyclonic circulation lies over northeast Rajasthan and neighbourhoods at lower tropospheric levels,” the Met Office said, adding that the mentioned reasons would cause rains.

In northwest India, scattered to fairly widespread moderate rainfall with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds were likely over the western Himalayan Region, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi till March 20 and over Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan till March 21, the Met Office said.

In west and central India, light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds were expected in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, and Chhattisgarh till March 19, the IMD mentioned in its latest weather report.

In south peninsular India, scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds were likely over north interior Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka till March 19, the IMD said.

In east and northeast India, fairly widespread to widespread light or moderate rainfall activity accompanied by thunderstorm, lightning, and gusty winds was likely over east and northeast India till March 21, along with hailstorms in some parts, the IMD said.

(With PTI inputs)