Four States to See Hail, Storms, Warns Indian Met
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday approved ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh each for the kin of those killed in the thunderstorm that hit various north Indian states, particularly Uttar Pradesh (UT) and Rajasthan, on May 2.
Mr Modi also cleared Rs 50,000 each for the seriously injured.
As many as 124 people lost their lives due to thunderstorm and lightning in five states earlier this week, the home ministry said quoting figures reported by the affected states.
The highest number of casualties were in UP, where 73 people were killed and 91 injured.
In Rajasthan, 35 people were killed and 209 injured, and 12,000 electric posts were uprooted and 2500 transformers were damaged in the storm.
While six were killed in Uttarakhand, two lives were lost in Punjab. Another eight people died under similar conditions in Telangana.
A fresh warning was issued on Friday about possible thunderstorm accompanied with squall or gusty winds for the next three to four days, the meteorological department said.
On May 6 and 7, thunderstorms accompanied by squall and hail is likely to occur in parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Thunderstorm and squall is also forecast in parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, western UP, Bengal, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Eastern UP may witness thunderstorm with gusty winds on May 6.
Dust storms are very likely to occur in isolated places in UP and Rajasthan.