Massive sandstorm engulfs Jaisalmer's border regions, video goes viral - WATCH

A dramatic video of a massive sandstorm swallowing Jaisalmer's border areas has gone viral on social media, offering a stark visual of the severe dust storm that swept through Rajasthan on Saturday (May 30). The footage, shared widely across platforms, shows the sky turning a deep, ominous brown as a towering wall of dust rolls across the Mohangarh and Ramgarh areas near Jaisalmer, reducing visibility to near zero within minutes.

Here's the video:

The storm, triggered by an active western disturbance moving across northwest India, battered several districts of Rajasthan on May 30, bringing daytime darkness to large swathes of the state. While Jaisalmer's border belt bore the brunt of the storm's visual impact as seen in the viral clip, the storm's most severe impact was recorded farther north and east, with Churu, Bikaner, Hanumangarh, Sri Ganganagar, Nagaur, and Sikar among the worst-affected districts.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the weather shift was driven by the active western disturbance combined with an associated cyclonic circulation, which enhanced moisture and instability over the region. Wind speeds across affected areas reached between 50 and 70 km/h. Strong winds uprooted trees and disrupted the electricity supply in several localities.

The storm followed days of blistering heatwave conditions, with temperatures soaring above 45°C across parts of northwest India. The sudden weather transition brought a measure of relief from the heat, even as it disrupted normal life. The IMD issued a red alert for multiple districts, including Bikaner, Churu, Sri Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Sikar, Nagaur, and Jaipur, for thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds. An orange alert was simultaneously issued for Dausa, Alwar, Bharatpur, and several other districts. Further dust storm and thunderstorm activity is expected to continue over parts of Rajasthan in the coming days, the weather office said.