2018 Indian dust storms

Last updated

2018 Indian dust storms
North India dust vir 2018165.jpg
Dust storms over North India
Date2–3 May 2018
Location Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan
Deaths125+
Non-fatal injuries200+ [1]

From 2 to 3 May 2018, high-velocity dust storms swept across parts of North India. 125 people died and over 200 were injured.

Contents

In Uttar Pradesh, 43 died in the city of Agra and about 30 died elsewhere in the state. In neighboring Rajasthan, about 35 people died and over 200 were injured after winds downed more than 8,000 electricity poles and uprooted hundreds of trees. Storms are not uncommon in the region; however, because these storms occurred at night and with greater wind speeds than average, the death toll was higher than usual.

Background

Dust storms are a feature of India's seasonal weather patterns. [2] The storms typically occur in the summer months, when the weather has been dry to allow dust to be picked up by passing winds. The death toll in such storms rarely exceeds 12; a previous storm hit India on 11 April 2018, killing 19 people [2] [3]

Dust Storm and its Damage

This is satellite image of india on dates of (a) 28 April, (b) 3 May and (c) 13 May North Indian duststroms(satellite image).jpg
This is satellite image of india on dates of (a) 28 April, (b) 3 May and (c) 13 May

[4] The dust storm occurred at the start of India's monsoon season. [5] In the days prior, region meteorologists had forecast thunderstorms and high winds to occur over that week. Contributing to the storm was a period of abnormally high temperatures for the region, which increased the intensity of the weather system. [6]

The dust storm first started late on 2 May 2018, predominantly hitting the states of Uttar Pradesh [7] and Rajasthan. [3] At least 73 people were killed in Uttar Pradesh, with 43 of those in the city of Agra; [5] 21 people have been reported killed in Kheragarh, a town around 50 km south-west of the city. [3] At least 35 people were killed in Rajasthan, [5] with the Alwar district being the worst hit; the Bharatpur and Dholpur districts were also affected. [3] Four people died in the state of Uttarakhand, [5] and Delhi was also affected. [3] More than 200 people were injured by the storm. [5]

Officials stated that the storm was more devastating than prior dust storms as the stronger weather system carried more debris which caused more damage to homes and buildings, and because it struck at night, most were asleep and were unable to take precautions, leaving many killed or injured by falling structures. [3] Most damage and fatalities were associated with high winds, rather than dust. [2] In Rajasthan, electricity supplies were interrupted by 200–300 downed pylons, and schools were closed in the Alwar district. [3]

Because conditions were still prime for more severe weather, the Uttar Pradesh government continued to plan to alert its citizens to weather conditions for the following 48 hours. [5]

Aftermath

The Government of Uttar Pradesh has announced compensation for the relatives of those killed amounting to 4 lakh (US$5,000). [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uttar Pradesh</span> State in northern India

Uttar Pradesh is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 after India had become a republic. It was a successor to the United Provinces (UP) during the period of the Dominion of India (1947–1950), which in turn was a successor to the United Provinces (UP) established in 1935, and eventually of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh established in 1902 during the British Raj. The state is divided into 18 divisions and 75 districts, with the state capital being Lucknow, and Prayagraj serving as the judicial capital. On 9 November 2000, a new state, Uttaranchal, was created from Uttar Pradesh's western Himalayan hill region. The two major rivers of the state, the Ganges and its tributary Yamuna, meet at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj, a Hindu pilgrimage site. Other notable rivers are Gomti and Saryu. The forest cover in the state is 6.1 per cent of the state's geographical area. The cultivable area is 82 per cent of total geographical area and net area sown is 68.5 per cent of cultivable area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agra</span> Metropolis in Uttar Pradesh, India

Agra is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about 210 kilometres (130 mi) south of the national capital New Delhi and 320 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is the fourth-most populous city in Uttar Pradesh and twenty-third most populous city in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harit Pradesh</span> Proposed state in India

Harit Pradesh is a proposed new state of India comprising the western parts of Uttar Pradesh state. Harit means Green which signifies the agricultural prosperity of the region and Pradesh means state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuh district</span> District of Haryana in India

Nuh district is one of the 22 districts in the Indian state of Haryana. There are four sub-divisions in this district: Nuh, Ferozepur Jhirka, Punahana, and Taoru. It has an area of 1,860 square kilometres (720 sq mi) and had a population of 1.09 million in 2011. It is bounded by Gurugram District to the north, Palwal District of Haryana to the east and Alwar District of Rajasthan to the south and west. Its boundaries also touch Bharatpur District of Rajasthan and Mathura District of Uttar Pradesh near Bichhor Village and Nai Village of Punhana Tehsil. It is predominantly populated by farmers of Meo ethnicity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1970 North Indian Ocean cyclone season</span> North Indian Ocean tropical cyclone season

The 1970 North Indian Ocean cyclone season had no bounds, but tropical cyclones in the North Indian Ocean tend to form between April and December, with peaks in May and November. The 1970 season saw a total of seven cyclonic storms, of which three developed into severe cyclonic storms. The Bay of Bengal was more active than the Arabian Sea during 1970, with all of the three severe cyclonic storms in the season forming there. Unusually, none of the storms in the Arabian Sea made landfall this year. The most significant storm of the season was the Bhola cyclone, which formed in the Bay of Bengal and hit Bangladesh on November 12. The storm killed at least 500,000, making it the deadliest tropical cyclone in recorded history. The season was also the deadliest tropical cyclone season globally, with 500,805 fatalities, mostly due to the aforementioned Bhola cyclone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 North Indian Ocean cyclone season</span> North Indian Ocean tropical cyclone season

The 2008 North Indian cyclone season was one of the most disastrous tropical cyclone seasons in modern history, with tropical cyclones leaving more than 140,000 people dead and causing more than US$15 billion in damage, making it the costliest season in the North Indian Ocean, until it was made second in 2020. The season has no official bounds but cyclones tend to form between April and December. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northern Indian Ocean. There are two main seas in the North Indian Ocean—the Bay of Bengal to the east of the Indian subcontinent and the Arabian Sea to the west of India. The official Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre in this basin is the India Meteorological Department (IMD), while the Joint Typhoon Warning Center releases unofficial advisories. An average of four to six storms form in the North Indian Ocean every season with peaks in May and November. Cyclones occurring between the meridians 45°E and 100°E are included in the season by the IMD.

Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) is a special police force in several states of India including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. In Maharashtra, it is headed by senior of the Indian Police Service. The squad has stopped several terrorist attacks in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1989 North Indian Ocean cyclone season</span> Cyclone season in the North Indian ocean

The 1989 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was a below-average season in annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. The season has no official bounds but cyclones tend to form between April and December. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northern Indian Ocean. There are two main seas in the North Indian Ocean—the Bay of Bengal to the east of the Indian subcontinent and the Arabian Sea to the west of India. The official Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre in this basin is the India Meteorological Department (IMD), while the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) releases unofficial advisories. An average of five tropical cyclones form in the North Indian Ocean every season with peaks in May and November. Cyclones occurring between the meridians 45°E and 100°E are included in the season by the IMD.

Muslim Rangrezz are a community of Muslim Rajputs in North India. Many members of the community migrated to Pakistan after independence and settled in Karachi, Sindh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Uttar Pradesh</span> Region in India

Western Uttar Pradesh is a region in India that comprises the western districts of Uttar Pradesh state, including the areas of Rohilkhand and those where Khariboli, Braj and Kannauji are spoken. The region has some demographic, economic and cultural patterns that are distinct from other parts of Uttar Pradesh, and more closely resemble those of Haryana and Rajasthan states. Western Uttar Pradesh has experienced rapid economic growth, in a fashion similar to Haryana and Punjab, due to the successes of the Green Revolution. A significant part of western Uttar Pradesh is a part of National Capital Region of India. The largest city of the region is Ghaziabad, while the second-largest city, Agra, is a major tourist destination.

The climate of Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) is primarily defined as humid subtropical with dry winter (Cwa) type with parts of Western U.P. as hot semi-arid (BSh) type. Alternatively, some authors refer to it as tropical monsoon. Variations do exist in different parts of the large state, however the uniformity of the vast Indo-Gangetic Plain forming bulk of the state gives a predominantly single climatic pattern to the state with minor regional variations. U.P. has a climate of extremes. With temperatures fluctuating anywhere from 0 °C or 32 °F to 50 °C or 122 °F in several parts of the state and cyclical droughts and floods due to unpredictable rains, the summers are extremely hot, winters cold and the rainy season can be either very wet or very dry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1960 North Indian Ocean cyclone season</span> Cyclone season in the North Indian ocean

The 1960 North Indian Ocean cyclone season featured two deadly tropical cyclones that killed approximately 20,000 people collectively in East Pakistan. The Indian subcontinent divides the North Indian Ocean into two areas: the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. The official Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre in this basin is the India Meteorological Department (IMD), while the Joint Typhoon Warning Center releases unofficial advisories. On average, five storms form in the North Indian Ocean every season with dual peaks in activity during May and November. Cyclones that occurred between 45°E and 100°E were included in seasonal records by the IMD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 North Indian Ocean cyclone season</span> North Indian Ocean tropical cyclone season

The 2014 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was an event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. The season included two very severe cyclonic storms, both in October, and one other named cyclonic storm, classified according to the tropical cyclone intensity scale of the India Meteorological Department. Cyclone Hudhud is estimated to have caused US$3.58 billion in damage across eastern India, and more than 120 deaths.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyclone Hudhud</span>

Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Hudhud was a strong tropical cyclone that caused extensive damage and loss of life in eastern India and Nepal during October 2014. Hudhud originated from a low-pressure system that formed under the influence of an upper-air cyclonic circulation in the Andaman Sea on October 6. Hudhud intensified into a cyclonic storm on October 8 and as a Severe Cyclonic Storm on October 9. Hudhud underwent rapid deepening in the following days and was classified as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm by the IMD. Shortly before landfall near Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on October 12, Hudhud reached its peak strength with three-minute wind speeds of 185 km/h (115 mph) and a minimum central pressure of 960 mbar (28.35 inHg). The system then drifted northwards towards Uttar Pradesh and Nepal, causing widespread rains in both areas and heavy snowfall in the latter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 North Indian Ocean cyclone season</span> North Indian Ocean tropical cyclone season

The 2015 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was an event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. The North Indian Ocean cyclone season has no official bounds, but cyclones tend to form between months of April and December, with the peak from May to November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northern Indian Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 North Indian Ocean cyclone season</span> North Indian Ocean tropical cyclone season

The 2018 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was one of the most active North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons since 1992, with the formation of fourteen depressions and seven cyclones. The North Indian Ocean cyclone season has no official bounds, but cyclones tend to form between April and December, with the two peaks in May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northern Indian Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 North Indian Ocean cyclone season</span> North Indian Ocean tropical cyclone season

The 2019 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was the most active North Indian Ocean cyclone season on record, in terms of cyclonic storms, however the 1992 season was more active according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The season featured 12 depressions, 11 deep depressions, 8 cyclonic storms, 6 severe cyclonic storms, 6 very severe cyclonic storms, 3 extremely severe cyclonic storms, and 1 super cyclonic storm, Kyarr, the first since Cyclone Gonu in 2007. Additionally, it was also the third-costliest season recorded in the North Indian Ocean, only behind the 2020 and 2008 seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1969 North Indian Ocean cyclone season</span> North Indian Ocean tropical cyclone season

The 1969 North Indian Ocean cyclone season is an active cyclone season. It has no bounds, but cyclones tend to form between April and December, with peaks in May and November. The season has no official bounds but cyclones tend to form between April and December. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northern Indian Ocean. There are two main seas in the North Indian Ocean—the Bay of Bengal to the east of the Indian subcontinent and the Arabian Sea to the west of India. The official Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre in this basin is the India Meteorological Department (IMD), while the Joint Typhoon Warning Center releases unofficial advisories. An average of four to six storms form in the North Indian Ocean every season with peaks in May and November. Cyclones occurring between the meridians 45°E and 100°E are included in the season by the IMD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyclone Titli</span> Deadly tropical cyclone that impacted the East coast of India

Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Titli was a deadly and destructive tropical cyclone that caused extensive damage to Eastern India in October 2018. Titli was the twelfth depression and fifth named storm to form in the 2018 North Indian Ocean cyclone season. Titli originated from a low pressure area in the Andaman Sea on October 7. With warm sea surface temperatures and low wind shear, the low developed into a depression on October 8 in the central Bay of Bengal. It was tracked and followed by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which also issued warnings and notices for the public. Titli continued to intensify at it moved toward the southeast Indian coast, becoming a very severe cyclonic storm, equivalent to a minimal hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale. It attained the intensity at the same time Cyclone Luban in the Arabian Sea was at the same intensity, marking the first instance since 1977 of simultaneous storms. The IMD estimated peak winds of 150 km/h (90 mph), while the American-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) estimated peak winds of 195 km/h (120 mph). Late on October 10, Titli made landfall in Andhra Pradesh, and it quickly weakened over land as it turned to the northeast. It degenerated into a remnant low on October 12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyclone Tauktae</span> North Indian Ocean cyclone in 2021

Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Tauktae was a powerful, deadly and damaging tropical cyclone in the Arabian Sea that became the strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall in the Indian state of Gujarat since the 1998 Gujarat cyclone and one of the strongest tropical cyclones to ever affect the west coast of India. The second depression, first cyclonic storm, first severe cyclonic storm, first very severe cyclonic storm, and first extremely severe cyclonic storm of the 2021 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, Tauktae originated from an area of low pressure in the Arabian Sea, which was first monitored by the India Meteorological Department on May 13. The low drifted eastward and organized into a deep depression by May 14. The storm soon took a northward turn, continuing to gradually intensify because of warm waters near the coast, and the system strengthened into a cyclonic storm and was named Tauktae later that same day. Tauktae continued intensifying into May 15, reaching severe cyclonic storm status later that day. Tauktae began to parallel the coast of the Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra, before rapidly intensifying into a very severe cyclonic storm, early on May 16. Early on May 17, Tauktae intensified into an extremely severe cyclonic storm, reaching its peak intensity soon afterward. Later that same day, Tauktae underwent an eyewall replacement cycle and weakened, before restrengthening as it neared the coast of Gujarat, making landfall soon afterward.

References

  1. Gupta, Swati; Westcott, Ben (3 May 2018). "More than 110 killed by high-intensity dust storms in India". CNN. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 Sarah Gibbens (3 May 2018). "Why This Dust Storm in India Turned Deadly". National Geographic. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "India dust storms: Nearly 100 killed in Agra,Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan". BBC . 3 May 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  4. https://worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov). Archived 2 June 2022 at the Wayback Machine
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gupta, Swati; Westcott, Ben (3 May 2018). "More than 110 killed by high-intensity dust storms in India". CNN . Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  6. Raj, Suhasini; Schultz, Kai (3 May 2018). "Devastating Dust Storm Strikes India, Killing at Least 94". The New York Times . Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  7. "AGU Publications – Wiley Online Library". AGU Journals.