NEW DELHI — Thunder, lightning and dust storms are creating havoc across India.
The storms, which tore through cities last week and are continuing now, have caused at least 124 deaths, according to local reports. In many places, schools have been forced to close and power supplies have been cut off.
The storms are a type known as a “haboob” — violent, dusty winds usually associated with Sudan. They have destroyed homes, uprooted trees and electricity poles, halted trains and devastated crops and livestock.
People told local news reporters of how their savings were lost as the storms devastated homes, while others described being pulled out from under debris.
“It can be called a freak incident,” Mahesh Palawat, chief meteorologist at Skymet Weather, told the Hindustan Times. “Dust storms are usually not this intense, nor do these systems cover such a large area.”
“I’ve been in office for 20 years, and this is the worst I’ve seen,” Hemant Gera, secretary for disaster management and relief in Rajasthan state, told the BBC.
Dust storms happen frequently around this time of year and can be very dangerous. Visibility drops rapidly, and strong winds can result in falling branches and debris.
Cellphone footage from the western city of Bikaner showed rolling clouds gathering over the city. In one video, the man behind the camera said, “The storm has come, the storm has come,” as a wall of dust surrounded him. “It is very dangerous, brother,” the man added.
According to India’s meteorological department, the storms may have been caused by high temperatures and a “western disturbance,” which originates in the Mediterranean and brings sudden winter rains to India.
Last week, the worst storms in six years struck India, the Times of India reported.
