LUCKNOW: Rain and thunderstorms brought a change in weather conditions across parts of north India, with several districts of Uttar Pradesh witnessing heavy showers, waterlogging and a drop in temperatures on Friday.In Delhi, overnight rainfall offered some respite from air pollution, bringing the Air Quality Index (AQI) down to the ‘satisfactory’ category.Prayagraj and Ghaziabad were among the Uttar Pradesh cities affected by the wet spell. Heavy rainfall and strong winds disrupted normal life in Prayagraj, while showers led to waterlogging in several areas of Ghaziabad.The Regional Meteorological Centre in Lucknow on Friday forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in several districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh, along with the possibility of hailstorms in parts of western Uttar Pradesh.The change in weather has been attributed to the remnants of severe cyclonic storm Arnab and its possible interaction with a western disturbance.The Met office also forecast a significant drop of 5-8 degrees Celsius in maximum temperatures across the state on October 30.Issuing an orange alert, the weather office warned of thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds reaching speeds of 30-40 kmph, occasionally touching 50 kmph, in several parts of Uttar Pradesh, according to news agency PTI.Heavy rain alert in Uttar PradeshHeavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in Kushinagar, Maharajganj, Siddharthnagar, Balrampur, Shravasti and Bahraich on Friday.Heavy showers are also forecast in Azamgarh, Mau, Ballia, Deoria, Gorakhpur, Sant Kabir Nagar, Basti, Gonda, Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur, Barabanki, Ayodhya and Ambedkar Nagar.The Met office has also warned of thunderstorms and gusty winds in several districts, including Lucknow, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Sultanpur and Amethi. Hailstorms are possible in parts of western Uttar Pradesh.Delhi weather forecastDelhi witnessed a sudden change in weather overnight as scattered rainfall and thunderstorms brought some relief from lingering air pollution. The national capital’s AQI dropped to the ‘satisfactory’ category following the showers.The city had recorded its coldest October day in four years on October 29, after the remnants of Cyclone Arnab interacted with a western disturbance, bringing rainfall, thunderstorms and dense cloud cover.According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), generally cloudy skies, accompanied by very light to light rain and isolated thunderstorms, are expected in Delhi on Friday, October 30.Weather conditions are likely to improve from Saturday, October 31, with partly cloudy skies and no weather warning in place. Mainly clear skies and stable weather conditions are expected on November 1 and 2, with a green alert forecast for the national capital.(With agency inputs)
