Severe dust storm hits north; 7 dead in Rajasthan

A severe dust storm, coupled with light rain, swept vast swathes of north India this afternoon bringing some relief from sweltering heat but it played havoc in Rajasthan where at least seven persons were killed and several houses damaged.
In the national capital, the 80-kmph wind, accompanied with drizzle, started around 4.15 PM and helped cool the temperature. The dust storm was an outcome of the extremely hot conditions yesterday which had pushed the mercury up to 43 degrees Celsius, weather department officials said.
The maximum temperature in Delhi was recorded at 41.5 degrees Celsius, two notches above the normal, and the minimum stood at 28.5 degrees, a MeT official said.

The city, which has been reeling under extreme heat for the past few days, also received traces of rainfall and humidity levels oscillated between 69 and 28 per cent.
In the desert state of Rajasthan, the storm killed at least seven persons -- five in Bharatpur and two in Bikaner -- and injured many others, police said, adding that many houses were damaged and trees uprooted in rural areas. However, the exact extent of damage was yet to be ascertain.
However, severe heatwave conditions prevailed in many areas of Rajasthan. Kota was the hottest place with a maximum of 46.2 degrees Celsius, followed by Jaipur which sizzled at 45.2 degrees Celsius. Other places registered day temperatures between 36.2 and 44 degrees Celsius.

Several areas of the state including Bikaner, Pilani, Churu and Sriganganagar received light rain.
In Punjab and Haryana, hot weather conditions prevailed even as maximum temperatures hovered around normal levels at most of places in both states.
Amritsar was the hottest place in the region as it registered maximum at 41.4 degrees Celsius. Among other places in Punjab, Ludhiana and Patiala recorded their maximums at 39.3 and 38.7 degrees Celsius, respectively. Chandigarh registered its high at 38.5 degrees.