Lucknow, April 4: A severe storm with rain and hail lashed several districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Lucknow, on Saturday evening, disrupting power supply, damaging crops, and causing casualties as falling trees and poles wreaked havoc, while relief teams were rushed to affected areas amid forecasts of continued thunderstorms.
The met experts say the storm and rain have caused significant damage to crops. The collapse of power poles, trees, and tin sheds has caused significant damage, including loss of life. Administrative teams have been deployed for relief work.
According to the Meteorological Department’s forecast, thunderstorms and hailstorms are expected for the next two days.
Dr Atul Singh, a senior meteorologist at the Lucknow Meteorological Department, stated that this change is due to the activation of a western disturbance, which has altered the weather patterns, resulting in heavy rain and hailstorms.
He said that the weather was normal until Saturday morning, but by afternoon the sky became overcast and strong winds began to blow. Several areas experienced winds of 40 to 50 km per hour, raising dust and affecting visibility. Light to moderate rain, thunderstorms, and hailstorms were reported in Lucknow and surrounding districts. This change in weather is expected to continue until late into the night. While this sudden weather change has brought relief from the heat, it has also increased the concerns of farmers. Strong winds and rain damaged wheat and other crops.
The sudden change in weather has caused significant damage in Uttar Pradesh. The rainstorm that began late in the evening has caused incidents of falling electric poles, trees, dilapidated houses, and tin sheds in Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, and several districts of Bundelkhand, among others.
The highest number of such incidents occurred in Kanpur district. During a heavy storm near Kulwanti Hospital, under the Kakadeo police station area of โโthe district, a tree suddenly fell on an auto-rickshaw passing by, injuring four to five people inside. Sisters Jamuna Devi (62) and Rajkumari, along with Jamuna Devi’s daughter Jyotsna, were present at the scene. Jamuna Devi died on the spot, while her daughter Jyotsna was seriously injured and is undergoing treatment at Madhuraj Hospital in Swaroop Nagar. Rajkumari, however, narrowly escaped. Falling trees and poles have adversely affected public life. Similar situations are being witnessed in several districts due to the storm and rain.