A powerful dust storm swept across several parts of Rajasthan on Saturday, disrupting normal life before rain brought some relief from the scorching heatwave conditions. Strong winds, low visibility and scattered damage were reported from multiple districts, including Churu, Hanumangarh, Sri Ganganagar, Bikaner, Nagaur, Didwana-Kuchaman, Alwar, Sikar and Jaipur.
The storm reduced visibility to near zero in several areas, forcing motorists to drive with headlights on even during the day. In Hanumangarh and Sri Ganganagar, wind speeds touched around 56 kmph, while weather updates later warned of a very severe dust storm moving across northwest Rajasthan with gusts of 70-80 kmph.
Residents said the intensity of the storm was unusually high. A Churu resident told PTI Videos that the sky turned dark around 2 pm, creating conditions similar to nightfall and severely affecting daily life. The storm lasted for hours in some places, leaving people struggling to move around safely.
The strong winds uprooted trees in several locations and caused disruptions in electricity supply. In Jaipur, the dust storm lasted for about 10 minutes in the evening before rain followed, offering some cooling relief after the extreme heat.
Rainfall was also recorded in different parts of the state, including Udaipur. According to officials, Churu received 14.8 mm of rain, Pilani 10.4 mm, and Sangaria in Hanumangarh 3.5 mm. These showers helped ease the heat, though the earlier storm had already caused inconvenience across wide areas.
The weather disturbance was triggered by a Western Disturbance, which brought unstable atmospheric conditions across Rajasthan. Dust clouds were seen covering large stretches in Sri Ganganagar, Churu, Bikaner and parts of Sikar district, including Fatehpur and Laxmangarh.
While the rain brought some respite from the oppressive heat, the storm left behind a trail of disruption, with people describing the day as one of the most intense weather events in recent memory. Authorities are keeping a close watch on the situation as more unsettled weather may affect parts of the region.
