11 April,2025 09:31 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Visitors shield themselves from a dust storm at Kartavya Path, in New Delhi, on Friday. Pic/PTI
While a sudden change in weather brought respite from the scorching heat in the national capital and its neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh on Friday, lightning strikes and hailstorms in Bihar claimed 61 lives in the past 24 hours, officials said.
In Bihar, 39 people died owing to hailstorms and rain-related incidents, while lightning strikes claimed 22 lives, news agency PTI reported. Twenty-five deaths were reported on Thursday evening, and following collation of data from various districts, the toll mounted to 61, they said.
Nalanda reported the highest number of fatalities at 23, followed by Bhojpur (six), Siwan, Gaya, Patna and Sheikhpura (four each), Jamui (three) and Jehanabad (two). Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur, Arwal, Darbhanga, Begusarai, Saharsa, Katihar, Lakhisarai, Nawada and Bhagalpur districts reported one death each.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed condolences over the deaths and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each for the families of the victims, reported PTI.
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In the national capital, the maximum temperature settled at 35.8 degrees Celsius, marking a dip of 3.8 notches from Thursday's high of 39.6 degrees celsius.
Strong dust storms and gusty winds hit Delhi this evening, prompting the meteorological department to warn of adverse weather conditions in the coming hours and issue an âorange' alert for Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region), PTI reported.
15 flights diverted at Delhi Airport
Over 15 flights were diverted at Indira Gandhi International Airport owing to the inclement weather.
"Due to inclement weather conditions in Delhi, some of the flights at Delhi Airport are impacted. Passengers are advised to contact their respective airlines for the latest flight updates," Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) said in a post on X at 7.15 pm.
IndiGo also posted on X, stating, "Delhi and Jaipur are experiencing a dust storm, affecting takeoffs and landings and potentially causing air traffic congestion. This may lead to delays or diversions."
While heatwave conditions had been recorded at two weather stations in Delhi - Ridge and Ayanagar - on Thursday, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, all monitoring stations in the city reported highs below that mark on Friday. The IMD has forecast thunderstorms with rain in Delhi on Saturday.
In western Uttar Pradesh, several districts experienced light rainfall accompanied by strong winds on Friday evening, providing much-needed relief from the recent heatwave.
In Moradabad, five university students sustained injuries after being struck by lightning. MP Singh, media in-charge of the university, said: "Five male students from various graduate programmes were on their way back to their hostel on Thursday night when it started raining. Seeking shelter under a tree, the students were unfortunately struck by lightning."
Uttarakhand: Nandprayag area of Chamoli district receives heavy rainfall
The weather change led to a significant dip in maximum temperatures across Uttar Pradesh, with an average drop of approximately five degrees Celsius. Lucknow recorded a high of 32.9 degrees Celsius, 4.3 degrees below normal, while Fatehpur and Banda were the hottest locations in the state at 40.6 degrees Celsius.
The meteorological department reported lightning and isolated hailstorms in parts of Saharanpur, Moradabad, and Hapur during the intervening night of Thursday and Friday.
In Uttarakhand, heavy rainfall lashed the Nandprayag area of Chamoli district. Debris from a national highway reconstruction project flowed into nearby shops and hotels, damaging goods inside, officials reported.
IMD advised residents to stay indoors, secure windows and doors, and avoid unnecessary travel. It also warned of potential damage to plantations, horticulture, and standing crops due to strong winds and hail.
(With PTI inputs)
