Late-night heavy rains paralyse Lucknow; IMD issues alerts for 36 UP districts

Several parts of the Uttar Pradesh capital were inundated after heavy rains late Wednesday night, causing severe waterlogging and traffic disruptions.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that the wet spell will continue across much of the state for the next two to three days, driven by a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal moving inland.

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From Thursday, the monsoon is expected to shift towards western Uttar Pradesh. An orange alert has been issued for Saharanpur, Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, and Bijnor, while yellow alerts cover 19 districts, including Lakhimpur Kheri, Hardoi, Farrukhabad, Kannauj, Kasganj, Mainpuri, Etawah, Auraiya, Amroha, Moradabad, Rampur, Bareilly, Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur, Sambhal, Badaun, Jalaun, Jhansi, and Lalitpur.

Thunderstorm and lightning warnings are in place for 36 districts, including Lucknow.

According to Atul Kumar Singh, Senior Scientist at the Regional Meteorological Centre, after significant rainfall in eastern UP and the Terai region on Wednesday, western UP is likely to see heavy showers on August 14 and 15. Saturated soil and continued rain could trigger flash floods in low-lying areas.

Given the weather conditions, Lucknow District Magistrate Visakh G Iyer has ordered the closure of all schools from pre-primary to Class 12 for the day.

Since June 1, UP has recorded 492.1 mm of rainfall—10 per cent above the normal. In western UP, rainfall has been significantly higher at 537.5 mm, a 31 per cent surplus. Eastern UP, however, has received 460.5 mm rain, which is 4 per cent below the normal.

Authorities have advised residents to avoid waterlogged areas and remain alert, with civic teams working to clear drains and the State Disaster Response Fund(SDRF) on standby.
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