Agra, May 11 (IANS) Gusty winds accompanied with thunder, lightning and showers that left a trail of destruction after midnight on Thursday here in Uttar Pradesh, also brought down the mercury considerably, a Met official said.
Trees were uprooted in many parts, snapping electrical lines in the city that went without power for hours.
Private discom Torrent official said: "Due to high velocity wind, lines with poles were uprooted and the supply had to be suspended, but now it is back to normal."
More than a dozen feeders, two dozen electric poles were damaged in Agra, the officials added. Hoardings and banners were also found strewn on the roads.
In rural areas there were reports of hail with strong winds.
In neighbouring Bharatpur (Rajasthan), 40 km from here reports said a wall collapsed killing more than a dozen of a marriage party. Some of the seriously injured were shifted to Agra nursing homes.
For over 40 minutes trains on the Agra-Jaipur, Agra-Delhi sections were halted after disruption of power supply.
The heavy showers in some parts of the city helped bring down the SPM (suspended particulate matter) level which had crossed permissible limits due to sweltering heat.
"The Taj Mahal looked dazzling white, after last night's showers washed the white marble mausoleum," said tourist guide Ved Gautam.
Grammy Award winning Canadian singing sensation Justin Bieber who arrived in India on Wednesday with his mother for the Purpose World Tour held in Mumbai last evening, was expected to explore Delhi, Agra and Jaipur on Thursday during his short trip.
It was reported that Bieber might come to see the Taj along with his mother.
About VDC
Doraiah Chowdary Vundavally is a Software engineer at VTech . He is the news editor of SocialNews.XYZ and Freelance writer-contributes Telugu and English Columns on Films, Politics, and Gossips. He is the primary contributor for South Cinema Section of SocialNews.XYZ. His mission is to help to develop SocialNews.XYZ into a News website that has no bias or judgement towards any.