Nagpur: A spell of around 60mm rainfall drenched several parts of the city on Saturday, ending a prolonged dry spell and reviving hopes of a stronger monsoon in the run-up to the festive season.Dark clouds gathered over the city around 2pm, signalling a change in weather after days of sweltering conditions. The showers were uneven through the afternoon — some areas stayed dry for hours before heavy rain lashed several localities from around 4pm onwards. By evening, however, the rain had turned more widespread and intense, bringing a noticeable drop in temperature and easing the discomfort caused by high humidity.The downpour marked only the third instance of heavy rainfall in Nagpur this monsoon season. Notably, most of it fell with high intensity over a short duration, reflecting the increasingly erratic rainfall pattern witnessed this year.Experts said the rain, though welcome, may not substantially improve the season’s overall picture, as Nagpur’s rainfall deficit has widened to around 30%. While Saturday’s spell ended the long wait for significant precipitation, much more will be needed in the coming weeks to bridge the shortfall.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Nagpur and other parts of Vidarbha on Sunday, indicating the possibility of further moderate to heavy rainfall.The evening rain also triggered localised waterlogging complaints, with rainwater entering residential premises in Venkatesh Nagar, Khamla, and Thawre Colony, prompting two emergency calls to the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s fire and emergency services department.According to officials, a call was received around 6.15pm from Thawre Colony, behind Lalit Bhawan, where rainwater had entered homes, fire department personnel rushed to the spot to assist residents.Another complaint came from Venkatesh Nagar in Khamla, where residents reported water entering their houses — by the time a fire tender from the Trimurti Nagar station arrived, water levels had already begun receding.In a relief for commuters, officials reported no major waterlogging on city roads, underbridges or subways despite the intense showers, allowing traffic to move largely uninterrupted even as civic teams responded to the rainwater ingress in residential areas.
