From sizzle to drizzle: Bhopal eyes relief as Met predicts stormy Sunday

Bhopal: After a prolonged spell of stifling heat under a sizzling summer sun, with day temperatures settling in the 40-plus range almost as a matter of routine, the city can finally look heavenwards in the hope of some relief. The regional meteorological office on Saturday flagged the possibility of thunderstorms, accompanied by lightning and gusty winds, in Bhopal and several places across the state on Sunday.

Possibly foreshadowing the promised respite, the day temperature in the state capital dropped back to 40 degrees Celsius on Saturday, down 4.3 degrees from the day prior. However, the overall weather conditions continued to be marked by the sultriness that has been typical of the city over the past week or so, bringing little or no respite for residents.

According to the Met office, a western disturbance was now prevailing as a cyclonic circulation over northwest Uttar Pradesh, between 3.1 and 5.8 km above mean sea level, tilting northwestwards with a trough aloft in middle and upper tropospheric westerlies and its axis at 5.8 km above mean sea level, roughly along longitude 78 degrees east to the north of latitude 25 degrees north.

The trough from a cyclonic circulation over central Pakistan to northeast Arabian sea across west Rajasthan, Saurashtra and Kutch, at 0.9 km above mean sea level, too, prevailed, with the trough now spanning from the cyclonic circulation over central Pakistan to north coastal Andhra Pradesh across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and south Odisha, at 0.9 km above mean sea level.

A possibility of rainfall or thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds was likely in several areas of the state, including the capital, under the influence of the prevailing weather systems, the forecasters said.

The day temperature in Bhopal on Saturday was recorded at a degree less than the normal mark, while the minimum overnight temperature was 25.6 degrees Celsius, two degrees below normal.

Narsinghpur was the hottest among districts on Saturday, with the mercury climbing to 43.2 degrees Celsius.

Till 8.30 am on Saturday, hailstorms were reported in Shivpuri, Morena, Sagar and Sheopur districts, while Chhindwara experienced a warm night.

The Met, meanwhile, forecast partly cloudy skies in the city on Sunday with a possibility of a thunderstorm, accompanied by lightning and light rain, in the evening hours.

Tay and night temperature in the capital would be 37 degrees and 26 degrees, while the average wind speed will be 18 kmph, added the Met forecast.

Elsewhere in the state, the forecasters warned of heavy rainfall in Mandsaur and Neemuch, while thunderstorms, accompanied by lightning, as well as hailstorms packing gusty winds were flagged as likely weather events for Gwalior, Datia, Bhind, Damoh, Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh and Niwari districts.

The Met also put out an alert for thunderstorms, accompanied by lightning and gusty winds for Bhopal, Vidisha, Raisen, Sehore, Rajgarh, Narmadapuram, Alirajpur, Jhabua, Dhar, Indore, Ratlam, Ujjain, Dewas, Shajapur, Agar, Guna, Ashoknagar, Shivpuri, Morena, Sheopur, Singrauli, Sidhi, Rewa, Mauganj, Satna, Anuppur, Shahdol, Umaria, Dindori, Katni, Jabalpur, Narsinghpur, Chhindwara, Seoni, Mandla, Balaghat, Panna, Sagar, Maihar and Pandhurna districts.