New Delhi, Apr 10 (PTI) While a sudden change in weather brought respite from the scorching heat in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh on Friday, lightning strikes and hailstorms in Bihar claimed 61 lives in the last 24 hours, officials said.

In Bihar, 39 people died due to hailstorms and rain-related incidents, while lightning strikes claimed 22 lives.

Twenty-five deaths were reported on Thursday evening, and following collation of data from various districts, the toll mounted to 61, they said.

Nalanda reported the highest number of fatalities at 23, followed by Bhojpur (six), Siwan, Gaya, Patna and Sheikhpura (four each), Jamui (three) and Jehanabad (two). Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur, Arwal, Darbhanga, Begusarai, Saharsa, Katihar, Lakhisarai, Nawada and Bhagalpur districts reported one death each.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed condolences over the deaths and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased.

In the national capital, the maximum temperature settled at 35.8 degrees Celsius, marking a dip of 3.8 notches from Thursday’s high of 39.6 degrees celsius.

Strong dust storms and gusty winds hit Delhi this evening, prompting the MeT department to warn of adverse weather conditions in the coming hours and issue an “orange” alert for Delhi-NCR.

More than 15 flights were diverted at the Indira Gandhi International Airport due to inclement weather conditions.

“Due to inclement weather conditions in Delhi, some of the flights at Delhi Airport are impacted. Passengers are advised to contact their respective airlines for the latest flight updates,” airport operator DIAL said in a post on X at 1915 hours.

IndiGo said Delhi and Jaipur are experiencing a dust storm, affecting takeoffs and landings and potentially causing air traffic congestion. This may lead to delays or diversions, the operator said in the post.

While two weather stations — Ridge and Ayanagar — in Delhi on Thursday recorded heatwave conditions with temperatures settling above 40 degrees Celsius, on Friday all monitoring stations in the city recorded a high below the 40-degree mark.

The IMD has predicted thunderstorms with rain in Delhi on Saturday.

In Uttar Pradesh, light rain accompanied by strong winds in several districts of the western part of the state onFriday evening brought a much-needed relief from the recent spell of intense heat.

In Moradabad, five students from a private university sustained injuries after being struck by lightning.

The university’s media in-charge MP Singh said, “Five male students from various graduate programs were on their way back to their hostel on Thursday night when it started raining. Seeking shelter under a tree, the students were unfortunately struck by lightning.” The sudden change in weather patterns brought considerable relief from the scorching heat across the state as the maximum daytime temperature recorded an average drop of approximately five degrees Celsius.

The state capital Lucknow recorded a high of 32.9 degrees Celsius, 4.3 notches below the normal. Fatehpur and Banda recorded the highest maximum temperature in the state at 40.6 degrees Celsius, each.

The meteorological department reported that several areas including Saharanpur, Moradabad, and Hapur witnessed lightning and hailstorms in isolated pockets during the intervening night of April 10 and 11.

In Uttarakhand, heavy rain lashed the Nandprayag area of Chamoli district following which debris generated by the reconstruction of a national highway gushed into several shops and hotels, damaging goods kept inside them, officials said.

While advising people to stay indoors, secure windows and doors, and avoid unnecessary travel, the IMD also outlined possible impacts of the severe weather, cautioning that strong winds and hail may damage plantations, horticulture, and standing crops. PTI TEAM NB NB NB NB