E-Paper
Dip in temp dampens Holi spirit, freak weather to continue
LUCKNOW Freak weather marked by overcast skies, rain and thunderstorm/hailstorm will continue for another three days, courtesy western disturbances active in Pakistan
LUCKNOW Freak weather marked by overcast skies, rain and thunderstorm/hailstorm will continue for another three days, courtesy western disturbances active in Pakistan and the low pressure area that has developed over Rajasthan, said JP Gupta, Met director.
Thunderstorm, accompanied with hailstorm, lightning and gusty winds (up to 30-40 kmph), was likely at isolated places over the state. The weather would be normal from March 15, he said.
The maximum temperature dropped to 22.4°C on Tuesday (Holi), which was 8.5 degrees Celsius below normal. The sky also remained overcast. Lucknow recorded a minimum of 13.6°C (0.4 degrees below normal). The maximum relative humidity was 84% and the city also experienced a little rainfall (0.1 mm).
The dip in temperature and coronavirus scare played a spoilsport in celebrations as people preferred to play Holi with herbal gulal only.
“It was quite cold all through the day and the sky also remained cloudy. We discouraged our children from playing with colours and water as annual examinations were on,” said Vineet Gupta, a resident of Aminabad.
JP Singh, a retired state government employee in South City, said as the day temperature was low, he did not allow his two grandsons to play with water and sprinklers.
On Wednesday too, parts of the state capital experienced little rain. The maximum and minimum temperatures were recorded at 27.5°C and 14.5°C (+0.5) respectively.
Lucknow and adjoining areas were likely to experience partly cloudy sky with rain/thundershowers. The maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 28 and 16 degrees respectively, said officials.
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Inter-faith ‘Holi Milan’ programme
LUCKNOW Muslim brethren in Adil Nagar hosted an inter-faith ‘Holi Milan’ programme on Usman Ghani Mosque ground.
Youngsters living in the vicinity approached the Imam of the Mosque Suhail Nadwi with their idea, who in turn, gave his blessings to the initiative and also contributed towards it with his time and funds.
Many Hindu families were hosted by their Muslim neighbours. While the adults spent the evening discussing life in general, over gujiyas and tea, the little ones participated in several Holi-themed events and won prizes.
“Growing up, we too looked forward to Holi. We didn’t want the present situation in the country to spread gloom. So, we really wanted to do something special,” said Shariq Ameen, one of the volunteers, on behalf of the group that organized the event. The other members were Zain Siddiqui, Quari Usman, Santosh Yadav and Ravinder. Taha Mahmood, a marketing professional with a leading IT company in the city, led the initiative.
