Massive Sandstorm Engulfs Rajsthan' Bikaner, Plunges City into Darkness

Bikaner: A fierce sandstorm swept through Bikaner in Rajasthan on Saturday afternoon, causing widespread disruption across the city. Towering walls of yellow dust engulfed the urban skyline, blotting out daylight entirely and plunging the city into near-total darkness. Videos of the monstrous dust wall bearing down on the city have been circulating widely on social media.

Visibility on all major roads dropped to zero as the storm intensified, with the atmosphere taking on an eerie yellowish-brown hue that made vehicular movement extremely hazardous. Residents panicked and rushed indoors or sought shelter in safer locations as wind speeds continued to rise.

Markets descended into chaos as traders scrambled to shut their establishments. Pedestrians fled to cover to escape the howling winds. Falling tree branches and widespread power outages across several areas brought normal life in the city to a standstill.

The meteorological department has advised residents across the state to remain on high alert and avoid all non-essential travel as adverse weather conditions persist. Heavy thunderstorm activity was recorded across various parts of Rajasthan in the preceding 24 hours, with Bari in Dholpur district registering the highest rainfall at 58 mm.

The Jaipur Meteorological Centre has forecast strong winds of 60 to 70 km/h accompanied by thunderstorms over the Bikaner, Jaipur, Ajmer, Bharatpur, Kota, Jodhpur, and Udaipur divisions in the coming hours. Isolated spells of heavy rain and hailstorms are also likely in some areas. Afternoon thundershowers are expected to continue across the state for the next four to five days.