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

Chandigarh, May 8 (UNI) Lightning claimed the life of a person while mercury further rose in Punjab and Haryana today.

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

The victims, who were harvesting wheat in the fileds, took shelter under a trolley during thundershowers and were killed by lightning.

Hot winds blew across the region during the day, lambasting the people facing 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, respectively recording 39.0 degrees and 38.6 degrees celsius.

The mercury further increased in Punjab, touching 40.2 degrees, two degrees above normal, at Amritsar. Ludhiana showed 38.9 degrees and Patiala 40.1 degrees celsius, one degree above normal.

The mercury also increased 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 celsius. The mercury plummeted to 24.7 degrees at Shimla and increased 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 celsius 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 in the region during the period.

UNI VKJ JS2015