LUCKNOW; The southwest monsoon finally covered the state capital, almost whole of east UP and some parts of west UP on Saturday. The sky in Lucknow mostly remained overcast with early morning rain making life pleasant for people.
“Conditions are favourable for its further advancement and covering the entire state by late Sunday night or Monday morning. It will result in moderate to heavy rainfall in the next 48 hours (about 2 days) ,including in Lucknow,” said Lucknow met director, Manish R Ranalkar.
Normally the SW monsoon reaches Gorakhpur by June 18 and Varanasi, Prayagraj, Lucknow and Kanpur by around June 23. This time, however, the monsoon entered through Lalitpur bordering Madhya Pradesh on June 26, eight days late and arrived in Lucknow on Saturday, six days late.
The rain deficit of Uttar Pradesh has come down to 41%, deficit in east UP is pegged at 54% and west UP 14%. UP recorded 53.1 mm rain against 89.2 mm, west UP received 62 mm against normal of 72.3 mm and east UP got 46.8 mm against normal of 101.2 mm.
In the past 24 hours, Auriya recorded 171.2 mm rainfall followed by Kannauj 119.2 mm, Lambhua (Sultanpur) 110 mm, Hardoi 101 mm, Kalpi in Jalaun 82 mm, Sultapur district 81.2 mm, Kumarganj (Ayodhya) 74.6 mm, Bhatpurva Ghat 70.2 mm, Ayodhya district 66 mm, Mahroni (Lalitpur) 65 mm, Balrampur 64.8 mm, Meerut 47 mm, Muzaffarnagar 38.2 mm, Bareilly 15.3 mm and Lakhimpur Kheri 11 mm rainfall.
{{/usCountry}}In the past 24 hours, Auriya recorded 171.2 mm rainfall followed by Kannauj 119.2 mm, Lambhua (Sultanpur) 110 mm, Hardoi 101 mm, Kalpi in Jalaun 82 mm, Sultapur district 81.2 mm, Kumarganj (Ayodhya) 74.6 mm, Bhatpurva Ghat 70.2 mm, Ayodhya district 66 mm, Mahroni (Lalitpur) 65 mm, Balrampur 64.8 mm, Meerut 47 mm, Muzaffarnagar 38.2 mm, Bareilly 15.3 mm and Lakhimpur Kheri 11 mm rainfall.
{{/usCountry}}Forecast for UP is rain/thundershowers very likely at most places over the state. The IMD issued warning of thunderstorm accompanied with lightning very likely at isolated places over the state. Heavy to very heavy rain was likely at isolated places over the state, said Mohd Danish, senior scientist at Lucknow met office.
Lucknow enjoys pleasant weather
Lucknow residents experienced a pleasant change in the weather on Saturday as the state capital witnessed 56.4 mm rainfall due to overnight rain. The much-needed showers provided relief from the recent heatwave, creating a comfortable atmosphere throughout the city.
Maximum and minimum temperature in Lucknow was recorded at 33.8 and 25 degrees Celsius respectively and both were below normal. Forecast for Lucknow is generally cloudy sky with moderate to heavy rain/thundershowers. Maximum and minimum temperature will be around 34 degrees C and 26 degrees cCelsisus respectively.
While the rain brought relief, it also led to some challenges for residents in certain areas. Sheeba Zaidi, a resident of Wazirganj, said, “The rain was much needed, but it has caused severe water logging in my area. Commuting has become a nightmare with all the waterlogged streets.”
Ananya Dwivedi, a resident of Indira Nagar, shared a more positive outlook: “The rain last night was a blessing. It cooled everything down and made today much more pleasant. It’s a refreshing change from the intense heat we’ve been dealing with.”
However, the rain exposed prepared of the local authorities in the city. Ilyas Ali, a resident of Park Road, expressed his frustration: “The rain has exposed the poor state of our roads. Potholes have turned into small ponds, making commuting extremely difficult and dangerous. The authorities need to address this issue urgently.”