SAY it a pleasant coincidence, Raksha Bandhan celebration in the Capital Raipur was welcomed by sudden, yet heavy rains, which was accompanied by cool winds, here on Wednesday evening. While many thanked the rain god for much needed relief from the hot and humid conditions, people celebrating the Raksha Bandhan also thanked the almighty for brining rains during evening hours as it could have spoiled the festive spirits had it lashed in the morning.

 

The abrupt climate shift brought respite from the soaring mercury levels, which had been a concern for the residents of Raipur due to the absence of rain over the past five days. However, this hour-long shower presented its own set of challenges, especially for commuters, motorcyclists, and pedestrians. Overflowing roads riddled with potholes and insufficiently repaired roadwork areas posed difficulties for those navigating through the waterlogged streets. Low-lying regions in the city also grappled with inundation from rainwater and clogged drainage systems. In the meantime, as per statistics availed by local Meteorological Center, Raipur received around 13mm rainfall during the short spell of heavy showers in the evening.

 

Meanwhile, an average of 736.9mm rainfall was recorded against the normal of 924mm in the state during current Monsoon season between June 1 to August 30. Surguja district still remains the highest rain deficient district receiving 387.5mm rainfall against the normal of 984.1mm, deficiency of 61 per cent so far. Looking ahead, the Meteorological Center's daily forecast predicts light to moderate rainfall at isolated places across the state on August 31. Raipur can anticipate partially cloudy skies with a possibility of evening thundershowers on Thursday. As the city continues to enjoy the aftermath of this welcome rain spell, its impact on the overall weather pattern will be closely observed.