Lucknow: Overnight thunderstorms and intermittent drizzle on Sunday morning brought the mercury down by about one degree Celsius but offered little relief as humidity soared to nearly 80%, making it feel much hotter than the actual temperature. The sultry conditions left residents grappling with discomfort through the day despite the drop in mercury.The city recorded a maximum temperature of 39.7 degrees Celsius, 3.6 notches above normal, while the minimum settled at 27.8 degrees Celsius, 1.4 notches above normal. The moisture left behind by the overnight showers pushed the relative humidity to 83%, making conditions feel much hotter than the actual temperature.Cloud cover persisted through the morning before the sun emerged, leading to a sharp rise in humidity. Many residents reported sultry conditions despite the brief spell of rain.Mohammad Danish, senior scientist at the Regional Meteorological Centre, Lucknow, said, “A partly cloudy sky is likely over Lucknow, with light rain expected towards Monday evening or night. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of 40-50 kmph may occur at isolated places. While these spells could bring brief relief from the heat, humidity is expected to remain high, keeping weather conditions uncomfortable.”Meanwhile, the monsoon is yet to enter the state. The southwest monsoon is halted near the East Champaran and Motihari areas of Bihar. However, weather experts say the situation is becoming favourable for the monsoon to advance toward UP in the next 3-4 days. Usually, monsoon enters UP around June 18. As of now, it is 10 days late.Across the state, isolated rain and thundershowers are likely, while heat wave conditions may persist at isolated places. Thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds are expected over parts of east UP.Elsewhere in UP, Prayagraj remained the hottest place at 43.4 degrees Celsius, followed by Agra at 42.6 degrees Celsius, Fatehpur at 42.4 degrees Celsius and Lakhimpur Kheri at 42 degrees Celsius. Temperatures also crossed 41 degrees Celsius in Etawah and Orai.Meteorologists forecast that isolated rain and thundershowers are likely in the state, while heat wave conditions may persist in some areas. East UP may witness thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds of 40-50 kmph.
