A massive sandstorm engulfed Rajasthan's Bikaner on Monday evening - reducing on-road and air visibility to almost zero and forcing locals to take cover inside buildings.

In what looked like a scene out of a horror or a thriller movie, the sandstorm dwarfed buildings and trees as it swept through the city - aided amply by relatively high-speed winds. Local authorities and the Met department had already issued warnings of dust storms, thundershowers and high-speed winds in several parts of Rajasthan and elsewhere in northern India.

Sandstorm and thundershowers last week had resulted in as many as 100 deaths and left 200 injured in Rajasthan and UP alone. Both states reported uprooted electric lines and trees which resulted in significant damage to property.

The Met department has warned that several areas in northern India - including Himachal, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan and UP will witness heavy rain on Tuesday. Schools in Haryana and Delhi have been shut till Tuesday while other states may also follow suit.