It is thought at least 125 people have been killed and many more injured in a devastating dust storm that swept across north India on Wednesday.
The storm reached Delhi, the capital, with heavy rains falling late on Wednesday evening after largely affecting three districts in the Rajasthan region, more than 62 miles away.
Sadly, many who lost their lives were sleeping when their homes collapsed having been struck by lightning and heavy winds.
The monsoon season is six weeks away and the storm has caught locals off guard.
Holidaymakers looking to travel to India for a holiday or to visit family, especially in the northern regions, should be aware that dust storms are common during summer.
If you have booked a trip to India, in the affected region, and your travel insurance offers cover for force majeure you may be able to claim for cancellation of the holiday if your flight or accommodation has been affected, however it is worth bearing in mind your travel insurance will not cover for disinclination to travel and will only cover force majeure if the travel insurance policy was purchased before the storm took place.
Force Majeure (roughly defined as acts of war or climatic conditions) is not covered as standard under most travel insurance policies, so be sure to check the policy wording carefully.
If you are already in India and your flight or accommodation has been affected by the storm, and your travel insurance offers cover for force majeure, you may be entitled to move to alternative accommodation and continue with your holiday or be covered for a replacement flight to return to the UK.
The worst of the storm is seemingly over, for the moment, as the Met office forecast light rains for the majority of northern India until Friday and disaster management agencies remain diligent to provide relief but people in the area have been warned to stay alert.