Heavy rain and hailstorm hits Himachal Pradesh, lightning kills 3 in Madhya Pradesh, India
Featured image: 24 + 72-hr rainfall accumulation in Himachal Pradesh by 03:00 UTC on March 7, 2016. Credit: NASA/JAXA GPM, Google
High altitude regions of northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, received up to 25 cm (9.8 inches) of fresh snow on Sunday, March 6, 2016, while the state's capital Shimla was lashed by intense winds, followed by intermittent rain and hailstorm. On the same day, rain and hailstorm wrecked havoc across the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, claiming lives of 3 people and severely damaging crops.
Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh was wettest in the region with 22 mm (0.86 inches) while Manali received 20 mm rain (0.78 inches), followed by 14 mm in Bhunatar (0.55 inches), 13 mm in Dalhousie (0.51 inches), 12 mm (0.47 inches) in Kufri and Banjar, 11 mm (0.43 inches) in Shimla and 10 mm (0.39 inches) in Gaggal, according to IMD.
Rain also lashed many places in Punjab and Haryana where crops damage was reported. High-velocity dust storm, accompanied by hail and heavy rain hit several regions of the state on Saturday, March 5, The Hindu reported.
24 + 72 hr rainfall accumulation. Credit: NASA/JAXA GPM, Google
Meanwhile, rain and hailstorm wreaked havoc in Madhya Pradesh, central India claiming lives of three people and severely damaging crops.
"While hailstone hit the eye of a man, who was facing sky practising yoga in Katni district, three others were killed in different areas of the state on March 6. The hailstorm affected several districts of eastern Madhya Pradesh, including Katni, Jabalpur, Narsinghpur, Dindori, Shahdol, Mandla, Seoni, Satna and Rewa districts. Crops in these districts have been severely damaged," Times of India reported.
"In Dindori district, two students died after lightning stuck the tree under which they took shelter during rains in Chiwli village. In another incident, lightning claimed the life of an 18-year old youth in Majhigawan village of Satna district. He also took shelter under a tree and waited for rains to stop, when he was struck by lightning."
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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