At Prayagraj, all eyes are on the skies as millions of devotees and senior officials work tirelessly to finalise arrangements for the first two bathing days of Mahakumbh 2025, starting with Paush Purnima. Amid the preparations, the question lingering in everyone’s mind is, “What if it rains on the inaugural day?”
An estimated 2 crore pilgrims and devotees are expected to take a holy dip at various bathing ghats in Mahakumbh Nagar. Elaborate security arrangements have been made by the district administration and police, said divisional commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant.
On Sunday, the day began with a dense layer of fog, which disappeared by 9 am. However, around 12 noon, the sky turned overcast, and it started drizzling for 4-5 hours, hindering last-minute preparations. The chukkered plates laid over the sand on the riverbanks turned very slippery.
The forecast for Monday (January 13) indicates no possibility of rain, but there is a chance of dense fog (50-200 meters) in some areas during late night/morning. Day and night temperatures are expected to range between 19-21°C and 10-12°C, respectively, said senior scientist Atul Kumar Singh.
For Wednesday (January 14), dense fog (50-200 meters) is likely during late night/morning. Similarly, on Friday and Saturday, dense fog is expected at isolated places during late night/morning, according to the weatherman.
{{/usCountry}}For Wednesday (January 14), dense fog (50-200 meters) is likely during late night/morning. Similarly, on Friday and Saturday, dense fog is expected at isolated places during late night/morning, according to the weatherman.
{{/usCountry}}On Sunday, the maximum and minimum temperatures at Prayagraj were recorded at 23.8°C and 11.7°C, respectively.
In the past 24 hours, night temperatures showed a significant increase from normal in Bareilly, Moradabad, Jhansi, and Meerut divisions of the state. A noticeable increase was also recorded in Varanasi, Ayodhya, Prayagraj, Kanpur, Lucknow, and Agra, while no major change was observed in Gorakhpur division.
Night temperatures were appreciably above normal (+3.1°C to +5°C) in Lucknow, Bareilly, Moradabad, Jhansi, Agra, and Meerut divisions, above normal (+1.6°C to +3.0°C) in Varanasi and Ayodhya divisions, and normal (-1.5°C to +1.5°C) in other divisions.
Kanpur (City) recorded the lowest minimum temperature in the state at 5.4°C on Sunday.
During the last 24 hours, light to moderate rainfall was reported in many places in western Uttar Pradesh, while very light to light rainfall occurred at isolated places in eastern UP.
Dense to very dense fog prevailed at isolated places in UP, while shallow to moderate fog was observed at a few places.
Panic among vendors
Overcast skies have caused panic among vendors selling tea and other goods for pilgrims. Kallu Sonkar, a tea seller near Nagvasuki police outpost, said, “If it rains on the bathing days, it will adversely impact our earnings.” Abhishek Kanaujiya, a fruit seller, expressed similar concerns.