At least 27 people were killed and more than 30 injured in incidents of roofs collapse and uprooting of trees and poles in the last 24 hours after a severe dust storm hit several districts of Uttar Pradesh.
Ten people were killed in Farukhabad, six including two children in Barabanki, three each in State capital lucknow and Sitapur, two each in Hardoi and Jalaun and one in Faizabad on Thursday evening, officials said on Friday.
The gusty winds, which were followed by showers, uprooted trees, electricity poles and hutments, causing severe damage to public and private property.
The Meteorological Department said that storm and rainfall were a result of western disturbance over Rajasthan. In Farrukhabad, 10 people died in incidents of wall collapse and uprooting of trees after the storm hit Mempur Katri, Mallai, Daipur, Karanpur, Budhaiya, Jarwa villages, police sources said.
In Barabanki, causalities were reported from Kotwa Sadak, Sindwahi, Debra, Dadiamau, Mohsand villages, where six people died after a wall collapsed on them. In lucknow, two deaths were reported after a wall caved in, while one was buried under a tree.
The weather remained pleasant on Friday with the maximum temperature falling by eight degrees and the minimum temperature by three degrees.
The local forecast for lucknow and the neighbopartly cloudy sky. Rain and thundershowers would occur in some area. The maximum and minimum temperature would be around 35 and 19 degree celsius respectively.
The State forecast rain and thundershowers would occur at isolated places over western Uttar Pradesh. The weather would be mainly dry over eastern Uttar Pradesh. There is warning of moderate thunder hail would occur at isolated places over western Uttar Pradesh.
Gorakhpur recorded a maximum of 36.6 degree celcius which was 1 degree below normal, Varanasi recorded a minimum of 40.4 degree celcius which was 1 degree below normal, Sultanpur recorded a maximum of 36.8 degree celcius which was 2 degrees below normal, Bahraich recorded a maximum of 31.6 degrees celcius which was 5 degrees below normal, Allahabad recorded a maximum of 39.6 degree celcius which was 1 degree above normal, Bareilly recorded a maximum of 37.3 degree celcius which was 1 degree above normal, Jhansi recorded a maximum of 37.3 degree celcius which was 3 degrees below normal, Meerut recorded a maximum of 28.5 degrees celcius which was 8 degrees below normal, Basti recorded a maximum of 38 degree celcius which was normal, Ghazipur recorded a maximum of 39.7 degree celcius which was 3 degrees below normal and Kanpur recorded a maximum of 19.3 degrees celcius which was 2 degrees below normal.
Inputs from Agencies