Windstorm claims life of a person in Amritsar

Chandigarh, Apr 16 (UNI) Windstorm claimed a life in Amritsar while the higher reaches in Himachal Pradesh experienced fresh snowfall and several areas in the plains had rain dipping the temperatures.

One person, identified as Kuldeep Singh, was killed when a tree branch fell on him during the windstorm that lashed Amritsar and its adjoining areas in Punjab last night.

The windstorm, accompanied by hail and rain, rattled window panes, blew off hoardings, uprooted trees and broke tree branches at various places in Amritsar district. The hail caused extensive damage to vegetables and wheat crop.

The maximum tempratures fell by one degree to eight degrees below normal in the region following snow and rain caused by western disturbance which lay over Jammu and Kashmir and adjoining North Pakistan as an upper air cyclonic circulation extending upto 4.5 km above sea level.

The upper air cyclonic circulation over Central Pakistan and adjoining northwest Rajasthan now lay over west Uttar Pradesh and adjoining Haryana, extending upto 2.1 km above sea level, according to the Met office here.

The maximum temperature fell seven degrees below normal at the holy city of Amritsar following rain, recording 27.2 degrees celsius.

The mercury also dipped at Ludhiana registering 31.0 degrees, five degrees below normal, while Patiala showed 35.0 degrees Celsius.

In Haryana, the temperature dropped by three degrees at Karnal registering 34.0 degrees. Hissar and Ambala also recorded a fall in the maximum temperatures, respectively showing 37.6 degrees and 33.6 degrees.

Tribal areas in Himachal Pradesh experienced another spell of snowfall while mid and lower areas of the state had intermittent rain. The snowfall snapped power wires and disrupted power supply in the tribal areas.

Shimla and other famous tourist destinations of Kufri, Narkanda, Naldehra and Mashobra were swept by thundershowers and hailstorms.

The maximum temperature settled at 18.5 degrees, one degree below normal, at Shimla which recorded 18 mm rain today.

Several areas, including Bhuntar, Sundernagar, Pandoh, Rampur, Suni, Sujanpur Tira and Naudan, also experienced rainfall.

The Met office predicted light to moderate rain or snow at most places in Himachal Pradesh and light to moderate rain or thundershowers at few places in Haryana and Punjab during the next 24 hours.

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

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