Lucknow: Intermittent rains continued for the third consecutive day in the city on Tuesday, lifting rainfall totals that had remained in heavy deficit until last month, while the weather office forecast more rain and thundershowers over the next three days.Residents woke to overcast skies, light showers and a cool breeze. The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) at Amausi recorded 25.8 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending 8.30 am. Showers persisted through the day, adding another 16.4 mm between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm.Several parts of the main city received heavier spells, leading to water-logging in low-lying pockets and slowing traffic in some areas.Meteorological data showed a sharp improvement in the capital’s seasonal rainfall position. The rain score up to July 31 stood 44% below normal, but sustained showers in August narrowed the deficit by 28 percentage points to 16% below normal as of Tuesday. The Met department considers rainfall within 19% above or below normal to be in the normal category.Temperatures remained subdued. The maximum temperature was recorded at 31.2 degrees Celsius, one degree below normal, while the minimum settled at 25.4 degrees Celsius. Relative humidity stayed high, ranging from 84% to 98%.Rains were reported across other parts of Uttar Pradesh as well. Meja in Prayagraj recorded 192 mm, Bijnor 162 mm and Sambhal 150 mm.Meteorologist Mohammad Danish said a depression developing over the Bay of Bengal is expected to pump additional moisture into the state’s atmosphere, while the monsoon trough is shifting over Uttar Pradesh, together likely triggering widespread rainfall over the next three to five days.The Aug spell has also improved the state’s overall seasonal deficit, with the per-district average rainfall since June 1 now 17% below normal.
