Days before the deadly dust storm hit parts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, the Met department had issued a "severe thunderstorm activity" warning for several places, but none were in these two states.
Specific warnings were issued for May 2 and 3 for Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha along with other places in eastern and northeastern India as per the advisory issued on April 30.
There was no mention of such activity over Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
M Rajeevan, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, however, said the India Meteorological Department had issued alerts for Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, where dust storm, coupled with rain, has killed nearly 100 people.
On April 30, the IMD issued a detailed advisory that a cyclonic circulation lay over east Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand and a "trough runs from this cyclonic circulation to Manipur across Meghalaya in lower levels".
"An east-west trough also runs from Punjab to southeast Madhya Pradesh across Haryana and west Madhya Pradesh," it had said.
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"Under the influence of these systems, scattered to widespread rainfall/thunderstorm activity was very likely over east and northeast India during next 3-4 days," it said.
For May 1, it said thunderstorms accompanied with squall, and hail was "very likely" at isolated places in Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand and the seven northeastern states.
For May 2, it had said thunderstorms accompanied with squall was likely at isolated places over the Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha, while thunderstorms with gusty winds may hit isolated places in Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Jharkhand.
Under its severe weather warning for May 3, it had said, "Thunderstorm accompanied with squall (are) likely at isolated places over Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha.