LAHORE, June 9: A strong windstorm followed by rain lashed Punjab on Thursday evening, bringing down trees and billboards, and disrupting power and telephone services.
There were reports of roofs collapsing from Beadon Road and Mughalpura in Lahore, with five people suffering injuries.
The worst-affected areas were probably the southern Punjab districts where the velocity of the storm was stated to be 195kms an hour which played havoc with the mango crop.
Five people were reportedly injured in Vehari while damage to electricity and PTCL installations also occurred.
According to the Lahore Met office, the windstorm and rain were generated by a strong westerly system which also created similar weather conditions at many places in the rest of the province, including Multan and Islamabad/Rawalpindi.
In Lahore, the windstorm recorded a velocity of 111km per hour at sunset. It was followed by light rain which turned heavy and continued intermittently for a couple of hours.
The powerful storm uprooted many trees and billboards at several places in the city, disrupting the rush-hour traffic and causing jams. A large billboard that collapsed near the UCH on Main Boulevard, Gulberg, held up traffic, causing a great deal of inconvenience to motorists.
The power supply to a large number of localities in the city remained suspended till the filing of this report. Power breakdown in many areas also caused the closure of water supply, adding to people’s hardship.
Driving under the heavy rain, particularly during the windstorm, was difficult and hazardous, and many broke their journey as a precaution.
The day’s maximum temperature in Lahore was 42.3 degrees Centigrade and the minimum 27.2 degrees Centigrade, with 34 per humidity in the morning and 13 per cent in the afternoon.
The rain and storm considerably brought down the temperature, making weather pleasant, and breaking the week-long hot spell. The Met office has predicted a partly cloudy sky for Lahore, with chances of another dust storm during the next 24 hours.
