North India on toes to weather the storm

Even as several parts of north India, including Delhi and NCR, were bracing for severe thunderstorm and squall on Tuesday following an alert issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a strong gale swept through North and North-West Delhi and Noida on Monday night. The Delhi Government has decided to close all evening schools on Tuesday while Delhi Traffic Police has asked people to check weather conditions before travelling. The Delhi Metro too has decided to exercise extreme caution in running of trains in the wake of the warning. The Ghaziabad administration too has ordered all schools to remain closed on Tuesday.

The IMD issued an amber-coloured alert, just below the red colour warning, indicating severe weather for parts of Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh, western Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim and West Bengal. Several parts of these States could witness thunderstorms and squall with winds gusting up to 50-70 kilometres per hour, the alert said.

There are four types of colour codes signifying the level of caution — green (which means no action), yellow (situation to be watched), amber (Government agencies to be prepared for severe weather) and red (action needed by the agencies).

Dust storms hit Chandigarh and parts of Punjab and Haryana on Monday evening itself with many residents preferring to stay indoors in view of the IMD forecast. The Haryana Government has cancelled leave of all officials in civic bodies across the State in view of the IMD alert of thunderstorm and squall. 

A western disturbance runs over J&K and Himachal Pradesh, while there is a cyclonic circulation over northeast Rajasthan, west Madhya Pradesh and Haryana, and this will bring light to moderate rainfall in north India, IMD Additional Director General Mritunjay Mohapatra said.

He, however, said, “The intensity is expected to be less in comparison to the thunderstorm that occurred on May 2.” A deadly thunderstorm with winds gusting up to 100 kmph had hit Rajasthan and west Uttar Pradesh on May 2, killing over 100 people.

“Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds very likely at isolated places over Punjab, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, west Madhya Pradesh, east Uttar Pradesh, east Rajasthan, coastal and south interior Karnataka and Kerela,” the IMD said in its alert.

In Delhi, anticipating heavy rain and thunderstorm on Tuesday, all Government agencies such as disaster management force, fire services, Delhi Traffic Police, Delhi Metro have been activated. The Delhi Government issued orders and put its search and rescue teams on standby and the traffic police have alerted their field formations to be ready for removal of obstacles after the meteorological department today issued a warning of heavy rain and thunderstorm.

The revenue department of the Delhi Government has directed all district officers to keep water and power utilities restoration teams ready.

“The district and sub-district search and rescue teams have been put on standby,” a senior official of the department said.

In another precautionary measure, the Delhi Government also decided to close all evening schools on Tuesday following the weather department’s warning about heavy rains and thunderstorm.

The Government said that all evening schools (second shift which starts from the afternoon) will be shut tomorrow. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash to review preparedness in the wake of the warning.

Meanwhile, Delhi Traffic Police has asked commuters to check weather conditions before travelling while the Delhi Metro too has decided to exercise extreme caution in running of trains in the wake of the warning.

The Delhi Traffic Police’s advisory states that it has alerted the field formations to be ready to get obstacles such as fallen trees removed. The advisory has asked commuters to avoid travelling during the storm.

Those who are stopping on the road or parking their vehicle have been advised to keep away from overhead electrical wires, tinned roofs, trees, etc., it said.

The commuters have been advised to take shelter under concrete structures. Drivers have been advised to use dippers or parking lights while driving.

The advisory says that commuters should “keep themselves updated about weather conditions and plan their journey accordingly”.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), which operates trains in the national capital and NCR, said it would exercise extreme caution in running of trains.

“If wind speed is reported in the range of 70-90 kmph then train movement will remain normal but trains will enter with a restricted speed of 40 kmph or less at the platforms on elevated section.

“If wind speed is reported more than 90 kmph then trains will be put on hold at platforms and no train will enter platform with a speed of more than 15 kmph,” a senior DMRC official said.

In this case, normal movement of trains will be restored once the wind speed is reported less then 85kmph for continuous five minutes. Appropriate announcements will be made at stations during this period”, he said.