Lucknow, Apr 11 (PTI) Light rain accompanied by strong winds in several districts of western Uttar Pradesh brought a much-needed relief from the recent spell of intense heat on Friday evening.

The meteorological department reported that several areas including Saharanpur, Moradabad, and Hapur witnessed lightning and hailstorms in isolated pockets during the intervening night of April 10 and 11.

In Moradabad, five students from a private university sustained injuries after being struck by lightning.

The university’s media in-charge MP Singh said, “Five male students from various graduate programs were on their way back to their hostel on Thursday night when it started raining. Seeking shelter under a tree, the students were unfortunately struck by lightning.” Singh further added that the injured students are currently hospitalized, with the condition of two reported to be critical.

Despite this unfortunate incident, the sudden change in weather patterns brought considerable relief from the scorching heat across the state.

The maximum daytime temperature recorded an average drop of approximately five degrees Celsius.

In the state capital, Lucknow, the maximum temperature settled at 32.9 degrees Celsius, 4.3 notches below the normal for this time of year. Fatehpur and Banda, however, recorded the highest maximum temperature in the state at 40.6 degrees Celsius.

The MeT department has issued warnings of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kilometers per hour in isolated locations across the state.

The forecast also indicates a high likelihood of hailstorms in isolated areas. PTI COR CDN NB NB