Dust storm and rain lashed many parts of North India disrupting normal life at several places yesterday. In Jammu and Kashmir, heavy rain and hailstorm hit Rajouri district trapping 10 families of a nomadic tribe on hills in the Thanamandi area. Local authorities said, they have launched a major operation to rescue the families trapped in the higher reaches of the area.

A severe storm, accompanied by hail and rain, hit Shimla and other parts of Himachal Pradesh, while the higher reaches of the state experienced snowfall. The hailstorm triggered traffic jams, snapped power supply, uprooted trees and blew off roofs in parts of Shimla district.

National capital witnessed a dust storm coupled with a drizzle last night. Light to moderate rains lashed parts of Punjab and Haryana, including Chandigarh, leading to a sharp fall in temperature. Ambala, Panchkula, Mohali and Patiala were also hit by rain.

In Rajasthan, a dust storm hit places in Jodhpur and Bikaner divisions and isolated areas in Jaipur, Ajmer and Kota regions. Met department said many parts of the state could again see a dust storm or thunderstorm in the next 24 hours.

Met Department has predicted more bad weather in the region today. In an advisory, it said thunderstorms with gusty winds are likely in parts of Himachal Pradesh, east Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. West Bengal and six of the seven northeastern states, except Mizoram are also likely to experience bad weather.