Major parts of Uttar Pradesh, barring Bundelkhand, witnessed relief from the scorching heat as maximum temperatures dipped following rain and thunderstorms across the state.
After nearly two weeks of intense heat, the weather in Lucknow turned pleasant on Wednesday afternoon with a brief spell of rainfall (0.8 mm). Several districts recorded light to moderate showers, bringing down daytime temperatures by a few degrees, though nights remained warm, the Met department said.
Lucknow recorded a maximum temperature of 39.3°C on Wednesday, marginally lower than 39.7°C on Tuesday.
The minimum temperature, however, rose to 27.3°C — 4.3 notches above normal and close to last April’s high of 27.5°C. The forecast for the city indicates a partly cloudy sky with spells of rain or thundershowers, with maximum and minimum temperatures likely to hover around 34°C and 24°C, respectively.
Weathermen attributed the change in weather to the interaction between a western disturbance—seen as a cyclonic circulation over northern Pakistan and adjoining Jammu & Kashmir—and moist easterly winds along an east-west trough extending from eastern Uttar Pradesh to Nagaland.
“This interaction led to widespread rain and thunderstorms across most parts of the state, except Bundelkhand, resulting in a significant drop in temperatures and bringing an end to heatwave conditions,” said Atul Kumar Singh, senior scientist at the Lucknow Met office.
However, Bundelkhand continued to reel under intense heat, with Banda recording the state’s highest temperature at 45.8°C. Strong winds also accompanied the weather activity, with gusts exceeding 100 kmph reported in Varanasi and speeds of 50-60 kmph in several other districts.
The current spell of unseasonal rain is likely to continue till Thursday, with temperatures in central and eastern Uttar Pradesh expected to drop by another 2-4°C over the next 24 hours.
Following a probable reduction in rainfall, temperatures are expected to rise again by 3-5°C during the first 2-3 days of May. Under the influence of an upcoming western disturbance, rainfall activity is expected to increase once more around May 4 and 5, likely leading to another drop in temperatures, Singh said.
Gorakhpur recorded 19.2 mm rainfall, followed by Prayagraj (11.2 mm), Varanasi-BHU (9 mm), Varanasi airport (5.6 mm), Fursatganj (5 mm), Azamgarh (4.8 mm) and Agra (1.2 mm).
The Met department has forecast rain and thundershowers at isolated places in western Uttar Pradesh and at a few places in eastern parts, with warnings of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds ranging from 30-60 kmph.
Banda remains hottest in country at 45.8°C
Banda continued to sizzle, recording the highest temperature in the country at 45.8°C, which was 3.6 degrees above normal. At Prayagraj, the maximum temperature was recorded at 43.4°C, while Orai sizzled at 43.3°C, Kanpur IAF (42.6°C), Jhansi and Hamirpur (42.2°C each), Varanasi-BHU (41.6°C), and Churk (41.4°C).
www.hindustantimes.com
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