41 perish in storms across India, flights go for a toss
Forty-one people were killed on Sunday as thunderstorms and rain battered north, east and south India, uprooting trees and walls.
At least 12 people, including four children, were killed in different districts of West Bengal, after lightning struck them amid heavy rains. In Howrah district, four children who died were aged between 8 and 12; they were in a field collecting mangoes during a thunderstorm when lightning hit them.
Eighteen people died in Uttar Pradesh and eight in Andhra Pradesh, NDTV quoted officials as saying. Three perished in Telangana and two in Delhi. More thunderstorms are expected across northwest India over the next 48 to 72 hours, owing to severe western disturbances.
The sudden storm caught the Delhi-NCR region napping on Sunday evening, especially those who were out to celebrate Mother’s Day. It sent flights for a toss with operations at Delhi's IGI Airport being put on hold for several hours. More than 40 flights were diverted as no aircraft were allowed to land either. The operations resumed at 7.30 pm.
The disruption was aggravated by the fact that Metro services on three different lines in the national capital too were hampered. Underground routes of the Metro were operational but at a reduced speed owing to the strong winds. Delhi’s satellite towns -- Noida, Gurgaon and
Faridabad – also witnessed gusty winds, thunder and rain, which brought the temperature down by a few degrees. Also, it was darkness at noon with the sky turning cloudy around 4:30 pm.
According to ANI, the storm also disrupted an event at IP Extension that was being attended by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal when the winds blew off parts of the stage.
Incidentally, the IMD had earlier issued a thunderstorm and dust storm warning for Uttar Pradesh saying strong winds of up to 70 km per hour are "very likely" in 26 districts of Uttar Pradesh on Monday.
On May 9, several parts of Uttar Pradesh were hit by a severe storm that left 18 dead and 27 others injured.
The met office had recently predicted a huge storm in 13 states. Following the alert, schools in Delhi, Chandigarh and Haryana were shut and extra police forces and emergency services were put on standby. The promised storm, though, turned out to be far lower in intensity and the met office came under fire from people on social media for misleading prediction.