Rain & dust storm cool city; IMD forecasts more light showers

Lucknow: Strong winds, a dust storm and rain swept across Lucknow on Sunday evening, easing sticky conditions and bringing a brief spell of pleasant weather to the state capital. Residents reported a noticeable drop in temperature as cool gusts followed the storm, offering relief from humidity that persisted through the day.The shift began around 3 pm when clouds thickened over the city. Gusty winds, clocked at up to 70 kmph in some areas, moved through several localities before a short spell of rain around 4.30 pm. Showers were reported from Hazratganj, Kaiserbagh and Sarojini Nagar, among other parts of the city, with blowing dust reducing visibility in pockets during the peak of the squall.Earlier, the city saw alternating sunshine and cloudy skies. The maximum temperature was recorded at 36.3 degrees Celsius, about 3.9 degrees below normal, while the minimum settled at 24.7 degrees Celsius, 1.5 degrees below normal.The India Meteorological Department, or IMD, said partly cloudy skies are likely to prevail on Monday, with light rain possible at isolated places. Temperatures are expected to remain near 36 degrees Celsius for the maximum and around 25 degrees Celsius for the minimum.The IMD also forecast thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of 40 to 50 kmph at isolated places in and around Lucknow over the next 24 hours. Mohammad Danish, senior scientist at IMD Lucknow, attributed the sudden change to an active Western Disturbance interacting with sustained moisture inflow from both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. He said the ongoing spell of rain and thunderstorms is linked to this system but added that temperatures are likely to rise again after the current rain activity tapers off.Similar conditions were reported across Uttar Pradesh. Heavy rainfall occurred in districts including Sambhal, Moradabad, Hathras, Gonda and Balrampur, while light to moderate rain was recorded in Shahjahanpur, Firozabad and Aligarh.The system lowered maximum temperatures by about 2 to 7 degrees Celsius across the state. Basti recorded the highest maximum temperature at 40 degrees Celsius, followed by Orai at 39.8 degrees Celsius. Muzaffarnagar was the coolest with a maximum of 30.2 degrees Celsius, while Najibabad recorded 32.5 degrees Celsius.The IMD issued a warning for rain accompanied by thunder and lightning in many parts of the state over the next 24 hours, with cloudy conditions and intermittent rainfall likely through Monday. Residents were advised to avoid sheltering under trees, electric poles and hoardings during thunderstorms.