Nagpur: A cloudburst-like downpour lashed Nagpur on Tuesday, dumping 179.7mm of rain in under three hours, swamping roads, submerging underpasses and bringing the city to a grinding halt. The deluge alone accounted for more than half of the city’s normal July rainfall of 347.7mm.The sudden, blinding rain caught many off guard. Motorists struggled through waterlogged roads, pedestrians scrambled for shelter, and even a short walk from a vehicle to a building was enough to leave people drenched. Several low-lying areas were inundated as stormwater drains failed to cope with the sheer volume of rain in such a short span.The deluge ranked among Nagpur’s heaviest July rain events in recent years. It surpassed the 173.9mm recorded on July 18, 2006, to enter the list of the highest single-day July rainfalls on record, though it remained below the all-time July record of 304mm set on July 12, 1994.The unprecedented spell disrupted normal life, prompting many residents to wonder whether the city had experienced a cloudburst. The India Meteorological Department (IMD), however, clarified that no cloudburst had occurred.According to the weather office, a cloudburst is defined as rainfall of 100mm or more in one hour over a localised area — a criterion that was not met despite the exceptional intensity of the showers.IMD observations showed that Nagpur received 3.6mm of rain between 8.30am and 11.30am before conditions deteriorated rapidly. Rainfall surged to 104.5mm between 11.30am and 2.30pm, followed by another 71.6mm between 2.30pm and 5.30pm, taking the day’s total to 179.7mm.Nagpur was under a yellow alert earlier in the day. As the weather system intensified rapidly, the IMD upgraded the warning to an orange alert.Highest single-day rainfall in JulyRank ———-Date—————–Rainfall (mm)1 July 12, 1994 304.02 July 7, 2018 282.03 July 9, 2025 202.44 July 30, 1991 183.05 July 28, 2026 179.76 July 18, 2006 173.9
