Surat Thunderstorm Claims Life and Disrupts City
A sudden and severe thunderstorm that struck Surat on Thursday evening resulted in a tragic fatality and significant disruption across the city. The incident occurred when heavy winds caused a Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) signboard to collapse onto a 48-year-old man, Nitin Vaja, who was selling snacks near Shayona Plaza in the Parvat Patiya area.
Vaja, a resident of Kargil Chowk, was serving customers at the time and was killed instantly on the spot. The metal signboard was ripped from its base by the powerful gusts, highlighting the storm's intensity.
Widespread Damage and Injuries Reported
The thunderstorm, characterized by winds heavily laden with dust, brought Surat to a standstill for several hours in the evening. In addition to the fatal incident, the storm uprooted numerous trees across the city, including one on Pandesara-Barmorli Road, and caused a large metal shed on a terrace to collapse near Dabholi Crossroads.
Two workers at the Surat airport parking area were injured when their shelter was blown away by the strong winds. The adverse weather conditions severely disrupted air traffic, with multiple flights affected.
Flight Disruptions and Diversions
A Bangkok-Surat flight was forced to circle the city for over 90 minutes due to the storm. Originally scheduled to land at 7:40 PM, it finally touched down around 9:15 PM. Other flights were also impacted:
- Delhi-Surat flights operated by IndiGo and Air India Express experienced significant delays.
- Flights from Surat to Kolkata and Hyderabad departed more than an hour late.
- A Delhi-Rajkot flight was diverted to Surat because of the bad weather in the Saurashtra region.
Unsettled Weather Across Gujarat
The thunderstorm in Surat was part of a broader pattern of unsettled weather affecting Saurashtra and Kutch on Thursday. Several parts of these regions received unseasonal rain, hail, and strong winds.
Rajkot recorded the highest maximum temperature in the region at 37.5°C, despite cloudy skies and intermittent showers in nearby areas. Jetpur and Jamnagar were among the worst-hit locations, with strong winds damaging electricity poles and causing localized power outages.
Dust Storms and Agricultural Impact
Dust storms swept through parts of Jamnagar before rain arrived, reducing visibility and coating roads and rooftops with a layer of dust. Porbandar and Junagadh also reported spells of rain, with heavy showers and hail observed in Junagadh's Bhesan, Vanthli, and Keshod talukas.
In Kutch, widespread rainfall from Wednesday night onwards affected areas including Rapar, Mundra, Kandla, and Bhuj. Several parts of the Rann reported dust storms as gusty winds preceded the showers.
The unseasonal weather has taken a severe toll on agriculture across Saurashtra and Kutch. Mango orchards, particularly in Vanthli, Junagadh, Bhesan, and Keshod, suffered significant losses as half-ripe fruit fell due to strong winds. Farmers also reported damage to wheat, chickpea, and cumin crops, many of which were close to harvest.
Ahmedabad and Meteorological Insights
Ahmedabad experienced an early-morning dust storm and evening drizzles, with residents reporting rattling windows, uprooted trees, and homes coated in fine dust as visibility briefly dipped.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) attributed the unstable conditions to an upper-air cyclonic circulation over west Rajasthan and a western disturbance over north Pakistan. According to the IMD, temperatures across Gujarat may dip slightly over the next 24 hours before rising again, with the current spell of rain and thunderstorms likely to subside and dry conditions expected from March 21.
