Heavy rain, gusty winds batter Amravati city, trees uprooted

Amravati: Heavy rain accompanied by gusty winds lashed Amravati city and parts of the district on Monday afternoon, with several localities also reporting hailstorm. The downpour provided much-needed respite from days of oppressive heat.As per the India Meteorological Department, Amravati city recorded 19mm rain in just one hour, the highest pre-monsoon shower of the season so far.The day began hot and humid, with intense sunshine making conditions uncomfortable until around 3pm. While temperatures had eased slightly since Sunday's high of 40.5°C, residents continued to face sweltering heat through the day.Around 3.15pm, dark clouds quickly built up over the city as strong winds picked up. By 3.30pm, heavy rain driven by powerful gusts swept across Amravati. The downpour lasted nearly 30 minutes, paused briefly, then resumed, continuing for almost an hour in total.The rain cooled the city significantly. Small hailstones landed in parts of Amravati. Strong winds tore down advertisement hoardings at major intersections and uprooted at least 11 large trees, disrupting traffic across several areas around 4pm.Fire department teams responded promptly, clearing fallen trees to restore traffic movement. Crews also trimmed broken branches in multiple locations. Tree falls were reported from Lakshmi Nagar, Chitra Talkies Chowk, Maulana Azad Colony, Riddhi Siddhi Apartment in Vikas Nagar, Jameel Colony, Ravi Nagar, the Hanuman Mandir area in Vilas Colony of Navsari, and Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Colony near Kathora Naka, among others.Authorities have urged residents to remain cautious as pre-monsoon weather activity is likely to continue in the coming days.