Lucknow, March 15 Several areas in Uttar Pradesh experienced a drop in temperatures following light rainfall and thunderstorms caused by a western disturbance, the weather department said on Sunday.
According to the Meteorological Centre in Lucknow, the western disturbance over northern Punjab, along with a cyclonic circulation over southern Haryana, led to an interaction of westerly and easterly winds.
This resulted in intermittent light rain and thunderstorms in the northern Terai region and adjoining central districts of the state since Saturday night.
In western Uttar Pradesh, Meerut recorded 2.9 mm of rainfall, followed by Bareilly with 2.5 mm, Moradabad with 1.2 mm, and Bahraich with 0.6 mm.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast moderate thunderstorms with lightning and light to moderate rain over parts of Gautam Buddha Nagar, Bulandshahr, Hapur, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Baghpat, Bijnor, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, and Saharanpur districts.
The IMD has also warned of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds with speeds of 40-50 kmph across the state. Isolated places in eastern Uttar Pradesh may experience hailstorms.
In Lucknow, the maximum temperature on Sunday was recorded at 31.6 degrees Celsius, slightly below normal, while the minimum temperature stood at 20.6 degrees Celsius, about 5.6 degrees above normal.
Departures in minimum temperatures were also recorded in other districts.
In Etawah, the maximum temperature was 30.4 degrees Celsius, with the minimum of 20.6 degrees being 6.9 degrees above normal. Fatehgarh recorded a maximum of 32 degrees and a minimum of 20.6 degrees, a departure of 6.5 degrees.
In Basti, the maximum temperature reached 32.5 degrees while the minimum was 22.5 degrees, 5.9 degrees above normal. Agra recorded a maximum of 31.5 degrees and a minimum of 20.4 degrees, a departure of 5.3 degrees. Ballia saw a maximum of 32 degrees and a minimum of 19 degrees, 4.0 degrees above normal.
The weather office has forecast a partly cloudy sky for the city, which may turn generally cloudy with the possibility of thunder. Maximum and minimum temperatures in the state are likely to hover around 31 and 17 degrees Celsius, respectively.
The current weather system is expected to remain active until March 16. Conditions are likely to turn dry on March 17 and 18, which may lead to a slight rise in temperatures. However, another active western disturbance is expected to affect the region from March 19.
This next spell is expected to bring fresh rainfall starting from western Uttar Pradesh and spreading across the state until March 21.
Following the rainfall in parts of western Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed district magistrates to conduct field visits to assess crop damage.
According to an official statement, the chief minister has asked officials to ensure timely distribution of compensation to affected farmers after receiving damage reports.