New Delhi (CNN) Fierce winds and lightning strikes created by a powerful dust storm have killed about 110 people and injured hundreds more in northwestern India since late Wednesday, according to local authorities.

In the state of Rajasthan, at least 35 people died and more than 200 were injured after winds downed more than 8,000 electricity poles and uprooted hundreds of trees, officials told CNN.

"This has resulted in widespread electricity cuts and water shortages. Most of the deaths occurred after walls and roofs of houses collapsed in the middle of the night," Jaipur District Divisional Commissioner T Ravi Kant said.

An Indian traffic policeman covers his face as he stands on duty in New Delhi.

In neighboring Uttar Pradesh, the death toll stood at at least 73, with the vast majority of those deaths occurring in the city of Agra, where 43 have been confirmed dead. Four people were killed in Uttarakhand.

According to Sanjay Kumar, the relief commissioner at the Uttar Pradesh state disaster management authority, the high casualty number is the result of people becoming trapped under falling debris. "Many houses collapsed due to high intensity winds, or the trees fell over onto the houses," said Kumar.

Read More</s>As northern India begins to recover from the massive devastation that the dust storm which lashed Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, there may be more trouble coming in the next 48 hours. According to a PTI report, an Indian Meteorological Department official has predicted another dust storm in parts of Rajasthan and UP over the next two days. The dust storm on Wednesday left behind a trail of destruction killing at least 109 people and injuring nearly 200. While Uttar Pradesh is the worst hit with 73 casualties, Dholpur in Rajasthan bore the maximum glare of this storm. As the wind speeds crossed 100 kmph, mud houses fell apart, trees were uprooted and crops were damaged. The storm was followed by thundershowers.

The destruction that nature’s fury left behind was caused by a spell of intense heat. Due to the summer, several parts of the country experience a build-up of surface heat. The places which were hit by this dust storm had witnessed an intense heat-wave last week. According to Dr Mrutunjay Mohapatra of India Meteorological Department, the natural phenomenon arises out of a local “instability” arising out of a deviation from the normal temperature. The difference of temperature between the upper and lower layers of atmosphere leads to conducive conditions for a thunderstorm. The final trigger came from the circulation system that developed over Rajasthan a couple of days ago, reported The Indian Express.

Dust storm has caused more deaths in the past although lightning seems to be the main destroyer. But Wednesday’s dust storm was unique in the sense that events occurred over a large geographical area within a very short time. That’s why an early warning or accurate prediction become crucial. According to the IE report, the Met department had issued a “severe thunderstorm activity” warning for several places, but none were in these two states days before the deadly dust storm eventually hit parts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The dust storm has brought political parties together as PM Narendra Modi, UP CM Yogi Adityanath and his Rajasthan counterpart Vasundhara Raje have expressed grief even as Congress President Rahul Gandhi has directed party workers to offer all possible help to the families of those affected by the natural phenomenon.

Here are the top developments on the aftermath of the dust storm and thundershowers that hit North and West India in the past two days:

1. Seventy-three people were killed in UP and 91 injured, officials said. Agra district was the worst hit in the state where at least 43 people have died while the number of injured persons stood at 51. Parts of Uttar Pradesh and districts adjacent to Rajasthan, such as Muzaffarnagar, Unnao, Bijnor, Bareli, Saharanpur, Pilibhit, Firozabad, Chitrakoot and Rae Bareli suffered the maximum impact of the dust storm.

2. 36 people lost lives in Rajasthan and another 100 were injured as winds over 100 kmph hit the region at around 7 pm. In the state, Bharatpur district was the worst affected with 19 killed. Nine people died in Alwar and eight in Dholpur, officials said. Two of those killed in Dholpur were from Agra in Uttar Pradesh.

3. According to Uttarakhand Disaster Management Centre, four people were killed and eight others were injured in the dust storm in the state. Two people were killed in Udham Singh Nagar, one in Almora and Haridwar. The impact was visible in Ramnagar and Haldwani, The Indian Express reported today.

4. The Met department yesterday predicted another dust storm in parts of Rajasthan and UP in the next 48 hours. A Met official in Jaipur has informed PTI that the department had been issuing dust storm warnings for the past couple of days. IMD Additional Director General Mritunjay Mohapatra said the trigger for the storm was a cyclonic circulation over Haryana. But also responsible was a western disturbance over north Pakistan and adjoining Jammu and Kashmir, and easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal, according to dust-storm experts.

5. Power supply was cut off in many areas as the squall uprooted trees and snapped electricity cables. In Rajasthan alone, 13,000 electricity poles fell and about 100 transformers were damaged. Officials said power was being gradually restored. In towns, the storm triggered traffic snarls. Some trains were delayed as overhead power cables broke. In rural areas, there were reports of the crop being damaged due to the hailstorm. Farmers lost cattle and poultry. UP Relief Commissioner Sanjay Kumar said 165 heads of cattle were lost. In Rajasthan, about 250 animals perished.

6. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed sorrow over the deaths and directed officials to coordinate with states to ensure speedy relief and rehabilitation. “Saddened by the loss of lives due to dust storms in various parts of India. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon,” the Prime Minister’s Office tweeted quoting Modi.

7. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was in poll-bound Karnataka on Thursday, campaigning with Modi. He directed officials to personally monitor relief operations and warned against any laxity. Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje expressed grief over the calamity and said district authorities have been directed to ensure all possible help to victims. She will visit the storm-hit areas on Friday.

8. “The dust storms have claimed several lives in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. We stand with the grieving families in this hour of grief. There is one tragic incident in Motihari too,” Rahul Gandhi tweeted yesterday. “I urge local Congress workers, colleagues from Seva Dal to support and offer every help possible,” he said.

9. Rajasthan government has announced compensation for the victims. Family members of those dead will get Rs 4 lakh as compensation, and those injured will get between Rs 60,000 and Rs 2 lakh.

10. Meteorological predictions are considered for broad geographical areas and timeframes. It is not yet possible to predict a thunderstorm or lightning at a village or a part of a city. The exact times these events will hit, too, cannot be predicted. Alerts and warnings are in the nature of a general advisory, telling the people to expect these events, and to take precautions, IE report says.</s>JAIPUR: Another dust storm may hit parts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan in the next 48 hours due to cyclonic circulation formation in the region, a MeT official said today.

The warning came even as the two north Indian states were reeling under the impact of a severe overnight dust storm that killed nearly 100 people and left a trail of destruction.

"There is a high probability that winds will intensify in the next 48 hours in Rajasthan, which may lead to another dust storm.

It will affect areas of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan border, especially Karauli and Dholpur," Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) scientist Himanshu Sharma told PTI here.

Satellite images have shown wind pressure developing in parts of Rajasthan, which may lead to high intensity winds and dust storm.

The meteorological department has warned that a dust storm, rainfall or thunderstorm may occur at some areas in Bikaner, Alwar, Bharatpur, Dholpur, Karauli, Jhunjhunu, Swai Madhopur, Sikar, Sriganganagar and Jaisalmer districts.

Sharma said the department had issued warnings in the last couple of days about a dust storm in Rajasthan.

In Uttar Pradesh, the high-intensity dust storm left 64 people dead and 47 injured.

In Rajasthan, 33 were killed, taking the combined death toll to 97.

About 100 people were injured in the state, officials said.

In UP, Agra district was the worst hit, accounting for 36 deaths and injuries to 35 others, officials said.

Besides Agra, the other affected UP districts were Bijnor, Bareli, Saharanpur, Pilibhit, Firozabad, Chitrakoot, Muzaffarnagar, Rae Bareli and Unnao.

In Rajasthan, Dholpur district was the worst affected with 17 killed, according to officials.</s>Dust storms tore across northern India killing at least 77 people and injuring 143 as trees and walls were flattened by powerful winds, officials said Thursday.

The overnight storm ravaged Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan states and the death toll was expected to rise, officials said.

There were 46 confirmed deaths in Uttar Pradesh in the north and 31 in the desert state of Rajasthan to the west.

The Agra district of Uttar Pradesh was one of the worst hit with more than 30 people killed. The Taj Mahal is in Agra city but officials said the monument escaped damage.

Most of the victims were hit by falling walls, trees and electric pylons and houses that collapsed.

A man is carried from the debris of his damaged home following a major dust storm in Etmadpur, in Agra district in northern India's Uttar Pradesh state, on May 3, 2018. PHOTO | AFP

"We can confirm at least 46 deaths, 41 injuries from around 40 of the state's 75 districts," T.P. Gupta of the Uttar Pradesh relief commissioner's office told AFP.

Three districts in Rajasthan, a state popular with tourists for its heritage palaces and colourful culture, were hit the hardest.

"Most of (the) 31 deaths and 102 injuries across our state were from three districts Alwar, Dholpur and Bharatpur," Hemant Gera, Rajasthan's Disaster Management and Relief Department's secretary, told AFP.

Indian children swim in a pond during a dust storm in New Delhi on May 2, 2018. Dust storms tore across northern India killing at least 77 people and injuring 143 as trees and walls were flattened by powerful winds, officials said May 3. PHOTO | CHANDAN KHANNA | AFP

Power supply was cut in Bharatpur as more than 1,000 electricity pylons were destroyed. Officials said it could take more than two days to restore power.

"Saddened by the loss of lives due to dust storms in various parts of India. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter.

This photo taken on May 2, 2018 shows a tree that fell in high wind during a storm onto a vehicle in Bareilly in India's northern Uttar Pradesh state. PHOTO | AFP

"Have asked officials to coordinate with the respective state governments and work towards assisting those who have been affected," he added.

Last month, a storm killed at least 15 people in Uttar Pradesh and destroyed two ancient pillars at the entryways to the Taj Mahal.</s>Dust storm and heavy rain have swept through northern India, killing as many as 72 people and injuring over 100 others, in the northern states of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The city of Agra in Uttar Pradesh saw the highest fatalities with 36 people, including children, killed after the intense dust storm destroyed their homes on Wednesday, according to a Times of India report on Thursday.

Nine other fatalities in other parts of Uttar Pradesh were reported, while 38 others were injured.

Wind as strong as 126km per hour accompanied the dust storm, The Times reported.

The dust storm was followed by heavy rainfall of as much as 48.2mm within less than three hours on Wednesday evening.

"Dust storms are common occurences in Rajasthan during the period before the monsoon rains," according to Al Jazeera's senior weather presenter, Richard Angwin.

"A large part of the Thar desert lies within the state. Here, dry, sandy soils are prone to wind erosion and transportation."

According to The Hindu news site, hundreds of animals were also killed mostly in Agra.

In the state of Rajasthan, at least 27 people were reported dead and 100 others injured in three districts, according to the Times of India.

There were also reports of destruction of buildings and infrastructure, as well as uprooting of hundreds of trees.

Images posted online from both states showed thick brown dust hovering over communities and cities.

According to reports, state officials have discussed extending financial help for the victims and their families.

Meanwhile, the Business Standard reported at at least 15 flights, including at least two international aircraft, were diverted from Delhi airport due to the bad weather.

That latest weather disturbance may be the result of the extreme heat that the region has been experiencing in recent days, Al Jazeera's Angwin said.

 

On Monday, a world record April temperature of 50.2C was recorded in Nawabshah in Pakistan's Sindh province, just west of India's Rajasthan.

"Many other parts of Pakistan and northern India have been suffering the effects of extreme temperatures. It is therefore quite possible that the wind circulation induced by the heat low was more intense than normal," Angwin explained. 

 

"A trough of low pressure may also have introduced moisture into the atmosphere, encouraging thunderstorms to develop."</s>Fierce winds and lightning strikes created by a powerful dust storm have killed around 110 people and injured hundreds more in northwestern India since late Wednesday, according to local authorities.

In the state of Rajasthan, at least 35 people died and more than 200 were injured after winds downed more than 8,000 electricity poles and uprooted hundreds of trees, officials told CNN.

“This has resulted in widespread electricity cuts and water shortages. Most of the deaths occurred after walls and roofs of houses collapsed in the middle of the night,” Jaipur District Divisional Commissioner T Ravi Kant said.

In neighboring Uttar Pradesh, the death toll stood at at least 73, with the vast majority of those deaths occurring in the city of Agra, where so far 43 have been confirmed dead. Four people were also killed in Uttarakhand.

According to Sanjay Kumar, the relief commissioner at the Uttar Pradesh state disaster management authority, the high casualty number is the result of people becoming trapped under falling debris. “Many houses collapsed due to high intensity winds, or the trees fell over onto the houses,” said Kumar.

According to CNN affiliate CNN News 18, the Uttar Pradesh state government has sounded an alert for the next 48 hours in anticipation of an increase in the numbers killed or injured in the storm.

The Prime Minister’s office said in a statement on Twitter that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was saddened by the loss of lives from the storm.

“(I) have asked officials to coordinate with the respective state governments and work towards assisting those who have been affected,” Modi said in the statement.

CNN Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri said India “is in the beginning stages of the onset of its annual summer monsoons.”

“Afternoon storms and periods of torrential rainfall have been more and more prevalent in this region over the past several weeks,” he added. “These afternoon storms were likely the culprit, bringing powerful winds to the impacted areas and setting the dust and sand in motion.”

Javaheri noted the region has had multiple years of below average rains during the summer monsoons, increasing the chance of dust and sand being swept up by strong winds.</s>Severe winds and rapid-fire lightning strikes from a violent dust storm demolished homes and displaced trees across India on Wednesday, killing at least 125 people and injuring more than 200 others – with more potentially deadly weather still to come, officials said.

At least 111 people were killed in the northern states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab, with many of them in Agra, the city that houses the Taj Mahal, according to BBC News and Agence France-Presse.

Another 14 people were killed in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, “which was hammered by more than 41,000 lightning strikes on Wednesday,” AFP reported.

Homes and businesses now lay in rubble littered with downed trees and electrical lines.

And residents are bracing for another storm that’s predicted to strike in a few days: The Indian Express reported early Thursday that Indian Meteorological Department scientist Himanshu Sharma warned another round of dangerous weather is likely to strike the area.

“There is a high probability that winds will intensify in the next 48 hours in Rajasthan, which may lead to another dust storm,” he told the Press Trust of India. “It will affect areas of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan border, especially Karauli and Dholpur.”

The majority of the deaths were in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, in the north.

The death toll in Rajasthan soared past three dozen, and the number may continue to climb, according to the Indian Express. The worst damage was in the Bharatpur district, according to the newspaper. “Most of the deaths occurred after walls and roofs of houses collapsed in the middle of the night,” T Ravi Kant, the district divisional commissioner in the state capital, Jaipur, told CNN.

Dust storms have hit India in the past, but officials said what made this storm so deadly was the fallen debris.

“Many houses collapsed due to high intensity winds, or the trees fell over onto the houses,” Sanjay Kumar, the Uttar Pradesh’s state relief commissioner for the National Disaster Management Authority in India, told CNN, explaining how residents had become trapped and died.

India’s National Disaster Management Authority issued an alert earlier in the week, warning residents about “severe thunderstorm activity” with hail and strong wind gusts in Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha, as well as other areas in eastern and northeastern India – but not specifically Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

“I’ve been in office for 20 years, and this is the worst I’ve seen,” Hemant Gera, secretary for disaster management and relief in Rajasthan, told BBC News about the storm.

“We had a high intensity dust storm on 11 April – 19 people died then – but this time it struck during the night, so many people sleeping and couldn’t get out of their houses when mud walls collapsed.”

Shivam Lohia, who owns a resort hotel in Rajasthan, told AFP that his car was almost blown away in the storm. He abandoned the vehicle on a road, he said, and ran for his life.
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• Dunkin’ Donuts bags its foam cups, moves to paper cups in all California stores “Everyone was scared and running for cover as trees and homes were getting blown away,” Lohia said. “It was a nightmare.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a statement Thursday that he was “saddened by the loss of lives” and that he has asked state governments to provide assistance to those who need it.</s>Dust Storm In Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan: Around 100 people have died after the dust storm</s>Indian children swim in a pond during a dust storm in New Delhi on May 2, 2018. Photo by AFP

Dust storms tore across northern India killing at least 77 people and injuring 143 as trees and walls were flattened by powerful winds, officials said Thursday.

The overnight storm ravaged Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan states and the death toll was expected to rise, officials said.

There were 46 confirmed deaths in Uttar Pradesh in the north and 31 in the desert state of Rajasthan to the west.

The Agra district of Uttar Pradesh was one of the worst hit with more than 30 people killed.

The Taj Mahal is in Agra city but officials said the monument escaped damage.

Most of the victims were hit by falling walls, trees and electric pylons and houses that collapsed.

“We can confirm at least 46 deaths, 41 injuries from around 40 of the state’s 75 districts,” T.P. Gupta of the Uttar Pradesh relief commissioner’s office told AFP.

He said there were 36 deaths in Agra district.

Officials said 157 animals were also killed across the state.

Three districts in Rajasthan, a state popular with tourists for its heritage palaces and colourful culture, were hit the hardest.

“Most of (the) 31 deaths and 102 injuries across our state were from three districts Alwar, Dholpur and Bharatpur,” Hemant Gera, Rajasthan’s Disaster Management and Relief Department’s secretary, told AFP.

Power supply was cut in Bharatpur as more than 1,000 electricity pylons were destroyed.

Officials said it could take more than two days to restore power.

The state government quickly released funds to compensate the families of those killed or suffered damage.

“Saddened by the loss of lives due to dust storms in various parts of India. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter.

“Have asked officials to coordinate with the respective state governments and work towards assisting those who have been affected,” he added.

Last month, a storm killed at least 15 people in Uttar Pradesh and destroyed two ancient pillars at the entryways to the Taj Mahal.</s>A sudden change in weather on Wednesday wreaked havoc in different parts of India. While people rejoiced over the winds gushing to and fro, it killed a number of people. At least 68 people were killed and hundreds injured in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand and leaving a trail of destruction, uprooting trees and disrupting power supply in Punjab and Haryana as well. Bharatpur divisional commissioner Subir Kumar said a compensation of Rs 50,000 will be given to families of those killed in the dust storm from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. A squall and dust storm followed by heavy rain also lashed New Delhi on Wednesday evening and caused traffic snarls in some parts of the national capital. Apart from traffic snarls, 15 flights, including two international, were diverted due to the bad weather. Forecast overcast skies along with the possibility of a drizzle on Thursday as well.
Around 110 people are killed in a dust storm in northwestern India, with Uttar Pradesh being the hardest hit.