One killed, 3 receive burn injuries due to lightning in Punjab

Chandigarh, May 8 (UNI) Lightning claimed one live while mercury further rose in Punjab and Haryana today.

One person was killed and three others received burn injuries when lightning struck them at Husanar village in Muktsar district of Punjab last night. The deceased was identified as one Gora Singh.

The victims, were harvesting wheat in the fileds, when the incident happened.

Hot winds blew across the region during the day as people faced frequent power cuts and water scaracity.

People groaned under intense heat in Hissar, which continued to be the hottest place in Haryana, recording the maximum temperature at 41.4 degrees Celsius. A windstorm lashed the town, uprooting trees and snapping power wires and hoardings.

The maximum also rose at Karnal but plummeted at Ambala, recording 39.0 degrees and 38.6 degrees respectively.

In Punjab, Amritsar recorded 40.2 degrees, two degrees above normal while Ludhiana touched 38.9 degrees and Patiala 40.1 degrees, one degree above normal.

The mercury also rose in lower and higher hills of Himachal Pradesh but did not show any significant change in the mid hills.

Una in lower hills recorded the maximum at 41.6 degrees, Bhuntar 33.2 degrees, Sundernagar 36.3 degrees and Dharamsala 31.2 degrees.

The mercury plummeted to 24.7 degrees at Shimla and rose to 20.8 degrees at Kalpa.

Chandigarh and its adjoining areas continued to reel under scorching heat although the mercury dipped to 38.4 degrees in the city.

The Weather Office predicted light to moderate rain or thundershowers at isolated places in Himachal Pradesh and duststorm or thunderstorm with light to moderate rain at isolated places in Punjab and Haryana during the next 24 hours.

Hailstorm or thundersquall with speed exceeding 45 km per hour is likely to occur at isolated places in the region during the period.

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