Thunderstorm hits Chandigarh; city plunges into darkness

A thunderstorm today hit the city, crippling road traffic and affecting electricity supply in some parts of the union territory.
"Because of western disturbances over Pakistan, light to moderate level of thunderstorm has hit the city this afternoon," UT Chandigarh Meteorological Department Director Surender Paul said today.
The thunderstorm accompanied by high-speed wind and dust hit the city at around 1:30 pm, resulting into felling of trees and traffic snarls in various parts of the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana.
Since it was followed by heavy rains, the entire city and its peripheral areas like Mohali and Kharar plunged into darkness, throwing life out of gear.

"This thunderstorm appears to be light to moderate and is expected to dissipate in about 2 hours. It will move towards some parts of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and then north eastern parts," the MeT Director said.