Lucknow: More than a dozen people have died as unseasonal rain and strong winds swept across several parts of Uttar Pradesh, disrupting normal life and causing widespread damage, officials said on Monday.
Deaths have been reported from Lucknow, Bahraich district, Sitapur district and Siddharthnagar district, with most fatalities linked to electrocution, falling trees and house collapses.
Storms and rain affected at least 22 districts, including Varanasi, Gorakhpur and Kanpur. Hailstorms were reported in Ayodhya district, Sitapur and Barabanki district on Monday morning.
In Lucknow, heavy rain accompanied by strong winds lashed the city for nearly one and a half hours. The weather changed suddenly around 8.20 am, plunging the city into darkness before thunderstorms and intense rainfall followed. The storm uprooted trees and electricity poles, leading to power outages in several areas, while overflowing drains caused waterlogging.
Air traffic was also affected. An IndiGo flight 6E-6476 from Delhi to Lucknow was diverted and made an emergency landing in Bhopal after failing to land in Lucknow due to poor visibility and strong winds. The aircraft was carrying Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak.
Reports from other districts indicated extensive damage. In Siddharthnagar, a water tank was damaged and left hanging due to strong winds, while a wedding pandal was blown onto a highway. In Sitapur and Barabanki, several tents set up for marriage functions were uprooted.
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In Pilibhit district, a 100 feet tall chimney at a brick kiln collapsed due to the storm. In Kasganj district, a house collapsed during the storm, killing two children trapped under the debris. In Sambhal district, lightning struck a house, causing part of the roof to collapse on a sleeping girl, leading to her death.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath urged residents to remain cautious. He advised people to avoid open spaces and shelter under trees, keep children indoors and asked farmers to protect their crops and livestock. He also directed district administrations, police and disaster management teams to remain on alert.
According to Lucknow based meteorologist Atul Singh, the change in weather is due to the impact of a western disturbance. He said thunderstorms, rain and lightning are likely to continue across the state over the next few days, with wind speeds expected to reach 40 to 60 km per hour between May 4 and May 7. Hailstorms are also likely, while heatwave conditions are unlikely for at least a week.
