Severe dust storm hits North India, 7 killed in Rajasthan

New Delhi, May 20: A severe dust storm swept across North India on Tuesday afternoon, killing at least seven persons and damaging several houses in Rajasthan. The accompanying light rain, however, helped bring down the rising temperature.

In the national capital, the wind, accompanied with drizzle, started blowing at speeds up to 80 kmph around 4.15 p.m. The dust storm was an outcome of the extremely hot conditions on Monday, which pushed the mercury up to 43 degrees Celsius, weather department officials said.

The maximum temperature in Delhi was 41.5 degrees Celsius, two notches above normal, and the minimum 28.5, an official said. The city received traces of rain and humidity levels oscillated between 69 per cent and 28 per cent.

In Rajasthan, five of the deaths were reported in Bharatpur and two in Bikaner, the police said. However, the extent of damage is yet to be ascertained. Severe heat wave conditions prevailed in many areas of the State.

PTI