Thunderstorm claims 15 lives, wrecks havoc in North India

NEW DELHI: At least 15 people died and nine others got injured after a massive thunderstorm hit parts of Uttar Pradesh on Friday evening. The deaths were reported from UP's Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Amroha and Sambhal districts. The thunderstorm caused destructions with trees, electric poles, and hoardings falling down at several places.

15 people died, 9 injured across Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Amroha and Sambhal districts after thunderstorm yesterday. — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) June 2, 2018

The Indian Metereological Department (IMD) issued a fresh warning on Saturday and forecasted that thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds and lightning is very likely at isolated places over Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, East Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Sub ­Himalayan west Bengal and Sikkim, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada, Konkan and Goa, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rayalaseema and South Interior Karnataka and  Odisha.

While thunderstorm accompanied with squall is very likely at isolated places over Gangetic West Bengal, duststorm is likely at isolated places over West Rajasthan.

The weather department also informed that heavy rain is very likely at isolated places over West Bengal and Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura and Madhya Maharashtra.

However, warm night conditions are very likely at one or two pockets over West Madhya Pradesh.

On Thursday, IMD had warned of a thunderstorm with strong winds and rain in various parts of Uttar Pradesh. The warning comes two days after a deadly storm claimed over 30 lives in various states across the country including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand.

(With inputs from ANI)