Unseasonal rains lash city, region; Buldana tops chart
| Date :08-Apr-2023 |
Staff Reporter
Unseasonal rainfall that lashed the city as well as various parts of Vidarbha region on Friday brought down the mercury, which was rising for the past some time. In parts of Akola and Amravati, hailstorm lashed the hope of farmers too. As per the official data, till 8.30 pm, Buldana received the highest 34 mm rainfall in the region. Nagpur received 17.3 mm rainfall.
Around afternoon on Friday, India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials issued alert that thunderstorm with lightning/gusty wind with speed up to 40-50 kmph was very likely to occur at a few places in Nagpur, Wardha, Yavatmal, Amravati, and at isolated places in Buldana and Bhandara district. Prediction of hailstorm was made for Akola district. Earlier also, there was forecast of rains on Friday and next two days. Towards Friday late afternoon, most of these forecasts came true. While parts of Amravati and Akola districts were lashed by hailstorm, Nagpur city and other places in the region received light to moderate rainfall. In Nagpur district, reports of unseasonal rainfall in Katol tehsil also came in. As per the official data, till 5.30 pm on Friday, Nagpur received 11 mm rainfall. Buldhana received 34 mm, the highest rainfall in the region. IMD officials also forecasted possibility of hailstorm at isolated places in Nagpur, Wardha, Yavatmal districts of Vidarbha region. However, till late night, it could not be confirmed which places in these districts received hailstorm.
As per the Climatic Features for the month of April for Nagpur issued by Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) Nagpur, thunderstorms are most common in the afternoon or evening when the western disturbances pass north India because they draw moist air from the sea to inland. On ‘rare instances’, these summer thunderstorms are also followed by strong winds, squalls, and hail. Nagpur’s mean maximum temperature and mean minimum temperatures are 35.2°Celsius and 19°Celsius, respectively during this month. “This month’s average precipitation is 19.4 mm. There are typically 1.7 rainy days and the average number of days of thunderstorms are ‘0’,” stated the Climatic Features.
The weatherman has forecasted thunderstorm accompanied with lightning, gusty winds (40-50 kmph) very likely at isolated places on Saturday, and thunderstorm accompanied with lightning very likely at isolated places on Sunday.
Meanwhile, in Nagpur city, due to rainfall, once again, the damaged portions of road got submerged. At various places, like near Rahate Colony Square, due to ongoing cement road construction and narrowed motorable width of Wardha Road available for vehicles, led to traffic jams and the traffic signals were of no help in regulating traffic. Though this has been a regular scene for the past few days, rainfall aggravated the situation. Similarly, at some other places, like near Jaitala last bus-stop, as the roads were dug up for some works but were not repaired properly, the people had a bumpy ride as the potholes and unrepaired portions got submerged for a while due to rains.