E-Paper
April weather rollercoaster: Hailstorms, dust storms, and then world’s hottest temperature in UP
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the state received 21.5 mm of rainfall in April against the normal 14.9 mm, recording 44% excess rain. East UP recorded 20.1 mm of rainfall against the normal 13.6 mm, registering 48% excess rainfall, while West UP received 23.4 mm against the normal 16.7 mm, marking 40% excess rainfall. Agra recorded 10.2 mm of rainfall on Wednesday.
Uttar Pradesh experienced an unusual April marked by 44% excess rainfall, unseasonal thunderstorms and hailstorms, followed by severe heatwave conditions that pushed Banda to 47.6°C, making it the world’s hottest location for a day, while temperatures in cities like Lucknow swung sharply within days.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the state received 21.5 mm of rainfall in April against the normal 14.9 mm, recording 44% excess rain. East UP recorded 20.1 mm of rainfall against the normal 13.6 mm, registering 48% excess rainfall, while West UP received 23.4 mm against the normal 16.7 mm, marking 40% excess rainfall. Agra recorded 10.2 mm of rainfall on Wednesday.
The month began with unseasonal rainfall across several districts. Parts of the state witnessed hailstorms, thunderstorms and dust storms during the first 10 days of April. The weather conditions brought a sharp drop in day temperatures, giving residents a brief spell of cooler weather usually seen in February.
On April 8, Lucknow recorded a maximum temperature of 27°C, which was 10.2 degrees below normal due to rainfall activity. However, temperatures climbed steadily later in the month, with the city touching 43°C on April 26, its hottest day of the season so far. Within four days, the mercury dropped again to 31.7°C on April 30, marking an 11.3-degree fall.
Similar fluctuations were recorded across the state on April 8 as overcast skies and early morning rainfall led to a decline of 6 to 8 degrees in daytime temperatures. Najibabad recorded 22.2°C, Moradabad 24°C, Bareilly 25.1°C, Gorakhpur 25.5°C, Kanpur City 26.8°C and Ballia 27°C.
In contrast, the second half of April saw heatwave conditions intensify across Bundelkhand and adjoining regions. On April 27, Banda recorded 47.6°C and emerged as the world’s hottest location for the day among 8,212 meteorological stations, according to data shared by the Lucknow Met department.
The temperature was Banda’s highest since 1951 and surpassed its previous April record of 47.4°C recorded on April 30, 2022, and again on April 25, 2026, making it the district’s highest April temperature in 75 years. Weathermen said Banda topped national temperature charts for the seventh time since April 16 due to severe heatwave conditions in the Bundelkhand region.
The sharp heat eased by the end of the month as weather conditions changed again. On April 30, Banda’s day temperature dropped to 36.4°C, an 11.2-degree fall in just three days.
According to the latest forecast, Lucknow is likely to witness partly cloudy skies turning mainly clear, with maximum and minimum temperatures expected around 36°C and 22°C, respectively. The Met department has forecast dry weather over West UP, while rain and thundershowers are likely at a few places in East UP.
