Rain a temporary relief to Lucknow, heatwave warnings to persist

While, for the third time this week, Orai in Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest temperature in the country at 45.2 degrees Celsius.

After the gusty windstorms and pouring rain in the early hours of Thursday morning in Lucknow, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) stated that this was only a short-lived respite. While, for the third time this week, Orai in Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest temperature in the country at 45.2 degrees Celsius.

Storm and rain wreak havoc in Lucknow on Thursday (HT)

The IMD predicted that the rain will last only until June 7 in West UP and will return to East UP from June 11.

Although the minimum temperatures have dropped from 30 degrees Celsius to 23.1 degrees with a maximum relative humidity of 80%, the daytime (maximum) temperature predictions remain above 40 degrees.

The window-rattling winds that brought down trees in several parts of Lucknow will revert back to dry weather with strong surface winds at 20-30 kmph. The official forecast for Lucknow shows partly cloudy skies with maximum and minimum temperatures at 42 and 27 degrees, respectively.

“The short spell of rain is a result of the Western disturbances, which typically only last for two to three days,” said Mohd Danish, Met Department in-charge, Lucknow. “The heatwave will still continue over the next five days in certain areas, but following that, there is a possibility of the temperatures decreasing by 1 or 2 degrees gradually, as the trend has already begun,” he said, noting that earlier this week, UP districts had recorded the highest temperatures in the country (Kanpur IAF on Monday at 46.8 degrees Celsius and Fatehpur on Wednesday at 46.2 degrees Celsius).