Thunderstorms to continue across Northern India over the weekend, heavy rain in the East: IMD

NEW DELHI: The northern and eastern parts of the country are very likely to have thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned. The warning comes a day after heavy rain, winds and lightning killed over a 100 people and injured over 200 in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

In its 2 pm weather bulletin, the IMD issued a fresh warning that read, "Thunderstorm accompanied with squall are very likely at isolated places over Assam & Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram & Tripura and West Bengal. Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds are very likely at isolated places over  Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi, Punjab, Bihar, Jharkhand, Sikkim, Odisha, northwest Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Rayalaseema, north coastal Andhra Pradesh, Interior Tamilnadu and Kerala.''

The IMD also predicted that heavy rain is very likely at isolated places over Tamilnadu and Kerala.

Meanwhile, the Home Ministry has also issued a fresh warning about a possible thunderstorm accompanied with squall which may hit four states - West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh – in the days to come.

IMD issues fresh warning for north and northeastern states: READ

Thunder storm activity is common in this weather. Certain meteorological conditions favour severity of the storms, right now conditions are favourable. North-west & north east region and southern peninsular area expected to see thunder storm activity,alerts issued: Met department pic.twitter.com/IIQXkNQD4C — ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2018

Thundershowers combined with sudden violent burst of wind are 'very likely' in parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the IMD had earlier predicted. "Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds very likely at isolated places over Gangetic West Bengal, Assam & Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram & Tripura, Odisha and Kerala," the IMD warning bulletin read.

It also predicted heavy rain in parts of Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

The thunderstorm outlook also suggested that strong and possibly violent bursts of wind and across the entire northern region - Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi and West Uttar Pradesh - over the weekend.

Through this entire period, heat wave conditions and dust storms have been predicted for western Rajasthan.

A storm barrelled through a swathe of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, killing at least 109 people in a trail of destruction that brought down mud houses, uprooted trees and flattened crops, officials said.

About 200 others were injured as a massive dust storm last night, followed by thundershowers, snapped power lines and sent tin roofs and street hoardings flying in parts of eastern Rajasthan and the adjoining areas of western Uttar Pradesh.

The thunderstorm claimed 73 lives and injured 91 in UP, and killed 36 died injured 100 in Rajasthan. The damage has been attributed to the winds, which clocked over 100 kmph around 7 pm on Thursday. The worst period lasted about 45 minutes, according to reports from Dholpur in Rajasthan.