Thunderstorm lashes parts of UP, crops flattened
LUCKNOW/KANPUR/ALLAHABAD/ AGRA: Rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning, lashed parts of Uttar Pradesh late on Friday night, damaging crops in some regions and snapping power. At least three deaths were reported.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered the district magistrates concerned to assess the loss and provide relief to people who have suffered damages due to the storm.
For his part, JP Gupta, the state met director, said, “Rain and light showers are likely in parts of east and west Uttar Pradesh on Sunday. This will lead to pleasant conditions across the state where overcast conditions would continue to prevail.”
On Saturday, Lucknow recorded maximum temperature of 34.3 degree Celsius which was three degrees below normal. The night temperatures were recorded at 20 degrees. Day temperatures were recorded below normal at many other places as well.
Kaiserganj recorded a rainfall of 6 cm, followed by Bhinga 5 cm, Bahraich 4 cm, Nanpara , Nighason and Kirawali 3 cm each, Gorakhpur, Biswan and Sitapur 2 cm each, Kheri, Lucknow , Moradabad, Agra and Mohamadabad 1 cm each, the Met office said.
In Unnao, two children, Mehak, 8, and Sameer, 7, were killed after the wall of a house collapsed, police said.
Similarly, Shripal, 70, was killed when a tree fell on him in Makrand Navada village of Bilhaur in Kanpur district.
Reports from Agra and Kanpur said the rain and hailstorm hit farmers the most who suffered major damage to the standing wheat crop.
“There has been extensive damage to crop of wheat standing ripe in fields,” said Dataram, a farmer in Holipura village in Bah tehsil of Agra district.
A report from Allahabad said high-speed winds with a velocity of 56km per hour lashed the Sangam city on Saturday bringing the maximum and minimum temperatures to 32.8 degree Celsius and 25 degree Celsius respectively.
According to weather expert and former head of the department of geography, Allahabad University, BN Mishra, the strong winds and storm-like conditions were a result of the ongoing last phase of the western disturbance in the Himalayas. This western disturbance also caused snowfall in Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir along with Himachal Pradesh, he said.