Dust storm in Rajasthan, UP: Death toll rises to 127; Another likely in 48 hours

More than 127 people were killed after a storm barrelled through a swathe of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, in a trail of destruction that brought down mud houses, uprooted trees and flattened crops on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday.

The winds were so violent that a number of houses collapsed and electricity poles and trees got uprooted, as the severe dust storm swept parts of these states. According to the Met department, says before the deadly dust storm," a severe thunderstorm activity" warning for several places, were issued but none were in these two states.

Meanwhile, according to weather experts, a cyclonic circulation over Haryana was the trigger for the deadly dust storm that swept parts of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, estimating that the wind speed during the storm may have gone up to 100 kilometres per hour. Whereas in Delhi, where a milder version of the dust storm and thunderstorm struck, the wind speed was recorded as 69 kmph. However, Palawat estimated that the wind speed would have been more than 100 kmph.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) Additional Director General Mritunjay Mohapatra said the reason why the dust storm was restricted largely to these two states were excessive heating, availability of moisture, instability in the atmosphere that triggered for the storm.

Meanwhile, Congress president Rahul Gandhi had urged his party workers to offer all help to the families of those affected by the dust storm in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

(with PTI inputs)