A sudden change in weather conditions wreaked havoc across Uttar Pradesh on Thursday morning as heavy rain, strong winds, hailstorms, and lightning caused widespread destruction in a number of districts. At least six people were reported dead due to lightning strikes, while thousands of acres of standing crops suffered extensive damage in 25 cities, including Lucknow, Kanpur, and Gorakhpur.
Delhi and other nearby areas in the National Capital Region (NCR) too recorded a sudden change in weather conditions during the day, witnessing dust storm, lightning and moderate rain.
State capital Lucknow plunged into darkness around 8am as thick clouds covered the sky, followed by a three-hour spell of heavy rain. Streets turned into streams, and the intensity of winds accompanying rain uprooted trees and electricity poles. Flower pots and objects kept on rooftops came crashing down. Power supply was disrupted in quite a few residential colonies, leading to long outages.
Similar scenes unfolded in Kanpur, where an abrupt change in weather conditions reduced visibility, forcing commuters to switch on vehicle headlights in the morning. Heavy rain inundated low-lying areas and residential localities. The city recorded 7.2mm rainfall in just two hours.
In Varanasi, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address a public meeting on Friday, a massive dust storm swept the city. Gusts of wind tore apart saffron and white curtains installed at the German hangar at the event venue. Banners and posters were also damaged due to the storm. Bahraich witnessed intense hailstorms, with roads covered in a thick sheet of white as hailstones blanketed the city. In Lakhimpur Kheri, the storm snapped power lines, plunging nearly 300 villages into darkness.
The sudden spell of inclement weather claimed two lives in Sitapur district. In a tragic incident, 23-year-old farmer Harischandra Bhargava lost his life when he was struck by lightning while working in a field in Majra Mochkhurd under Biswan tehsil. Harischandra, the youngest among four brothers, was unmarried and had gone out to harvest sugarcane early Thursday morning.
In a separate incident in Sakran, a 55-year-old woman, Kusuma Devi, died after a concrete wall collapsed on her amid strong winds and rain. Kusuma, a resident of Rasulpur Hardopatti village, was returning home after harvesting wheat when the wall of a neighbouring house, belonging to a villager named Nagendra, fell on her. Locals rushed to the scene and pulled her out from the debris, but she was dead by them. Police and revenue officials have been informed, and further action is underway. Other deaths were reported from Bahraich, Barabanki, Varanasi and Kanpur districts,
With the wheat harvesting season underway, the unseasonal rain and wind have caused considerable anxiety among farmers. The gusty winds have flattened standing crops, particularly in areas where harvesting is still to be taken up. Agricultural experts fear a major impact on wheat yield if the weather pattern continues.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed district officials to remain on high alert and ensure timely relief and rehabilitation efforts. He ordered that immediate surveys be conducted in affected areas to assess the damage. "Relief should be distributed without delay in case of loss of life or livestock, and arrangements for proper drainage must be ensured where waterlogging has occurred," the CM said.
Highlighting the ongoing government procurement of wheat, CM Yogi stressed on the safe storage of wheat stocks at all purchase centers, including mandis. He instructed officials to conduct a detailed survey to assess crop loss and submit a report to the government for further action. "In areas experiencing waterlogging, arrangements for proper drainage should be made on priority," he added.
Senior meteorologist Atul Kumar Singh explained that the weather disturbance was due to the active western disturbance and the confluence of easterly and westerly winds. "A low-pressure system is developing over the region, which is leading to these intense weather conditions," he said.
According to weather officials, intermittent rain may continue in different parts of the state for the next three to four days. While temperatures may drop temporarily in areas experiencing rain, a significant reprieve from the ongoing summer heat is unlikely.
In Delhi, weather change was a welcome change for city residents. The temperature drop ensured much-needed respite from heat wave that had gripped the national capital for the past few days. The India Meteorological Department had predicted rain and thunderstorm for the day.
According to the weather office predictions, the capital city is likely to receive thunderstorm accompanied by rain on Friday as well, with the minimum temperature forecast to dip to 24 degrees Celsius.
Several parts of NCR, including Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida, also witnessed heavy dust storms on Thursday. In the evening, a strong dust storm swept through the city, darkening the skies and reducing visibility in Delhi and Noida just before the expected thundershowers began. Several residents took to social media platform 'X' to share visuals of the dust storms, accompanied by cloudy weather conditions in Delhi-NCR.
The monitoring stations at Ridge and Ayanagar recorded heatwave conditions on Thursday, with the maximum temperature settling at 40.9 degrees celsius and 40.2 degrees respectively, according to the IMD. The city's primary weather station at Safdarjung recorded a high of 39.6 degrees, 4.5 notches above normal, while Palam reported 39.1 degrees, and Lodhi Road 39.6 degrees Celsius, the IMD said.
The city recorded its minimum at 25.9 degrees on Wednesday night, approximately six degrees above normal, marking the highest this season. The city's minimum temperature surpassed Wednesday's 25.6 degrees. This makes it the highest minimum temperature for April in three years, as per official records.
According to IMD, for April 12, light rain or drizzle has been predicted along with general cloudy sky for Delhi. Thereafter, the city is forecast to witness clear skies for the next couple of days.
According to the IMD, there has been no large change in minimum and maximum temperatures across Delhi/NCR during the past 24 hours. The maximum and minimum temperatures are in the range of 40 to 41 degrees and 25 to 27 degrees respectively. The minimum temperatures are markedly above normal by 05-07 degrees Celsius and maximum are markedly above normal by 05-06 degrees over many places over Delhi.
The highest minimum temperature in 2024 was 24 degrees Celsius, while in 2023 it was 23.6 degrees. A similar trend was seen in 2022, when the highest minimum temperature was recorded at 26.2 degrees Celsius.
The capital recorded the season's first heatwave on Monday, when the mercury touched 40 degrees Celsius, according to the IMD.
The minimum temperature on Thursday was recorded at 25.9 degrees Celsius, nearly six notches above normal and the highest night temperature recorded in the month of April in the past three years, IMD data showed.
In 2022, the highest minimum temperature in April was recorded at 26.2 degrees Celsius. In 2024 and 2023, the minimum temperature in April did not touch the 25-degree mark. The humidity level in the capital on Thursday fluctuated between 55 per cent and 30 per cent during the day, according to the IMD.
For Friday, the weather office has forecast thunderstorm with rain, with the maximum temperature likely to settle around 37 degrees Celsius, and the minimum around 24 degrees Celsius. The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi was recorded in the 'poor' category on Thursday with a reading of 256 at 4 pm, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
