Heavy to extremely heavy rain in parts of UP; 5 killed

Lucknow, Jul 9 (PTI) The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday issued a 'red alert' for parts of western Uttar Pradesh, forecasting heavy to extremely heavy rainfall over the next 24 hours as monsoon activity intensified across the state, with rain-related incidents claiming at least five lives. Two women died after being struck by lightning in separate villages of the Sant Kabir Nagar district, while a 14-year-old boy was killed in Kushinagar after lightning struck while he was accompanying his mother to harvest vegetables from their field, officials said. In Bulandshahr, two people were killed and four others injured after a wall collapsed on makeshift tents erected beside it in the Mundakheda village of Khurja following heavy rain, police said. According to the Regional Meteorological Centre, Lucknow, very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is likely in districts including Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Amroha, Moradabad, Rampur, Bareilly, Pilibhit, Sambhal and Badaun, while heavy to very heavy rainfall has been forecast for several other districts in western and central Uttar Pradesh. The weather office said widespread rainfall activity is expected across the state till July 11, with temperatures likely to fall by 2-4 degrees Celsius over the next two to three days. Lucknow received 27.2 mm rainfall between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm on Thursday. The maximum temperature settled at 33 degrees Celsius, 1.9 degrees below normal, while the minimum temperature was 27.2 degrees Celsius, 1.2 degrees above normal. Relative humidity touched 94 per cent and the city is expected to witness intermittent rain and thundershowers over the next 24 hours. The IMD has warned of heavy rainfall over Lucknow and adjoining areas. In Sant Kabir Nagar, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Arun Kumar said Chandni (17) of the Katya village and Varsana (60) of the Pratapur village died after lightning struck while they were working in their fields in Mehdawal tehsil. He said reports had been sought and government assistance would be provided to the bereaved families. In Kushinagar, police said Rahul Kumar (14) died after being struck by lightning while standing on a field bund as his mother handed him vegetables harvested from their farm in the Thadhibhar village under the Vishunpura police station limits. The police said the family declined a post-mortem examination. Bulandshahr Circle Officer Shobhit Kumar said the wall collapsed around 5 pm in the Mundakheda village, burying six people living in temporary tents beside a vacant plot. Two people died while four were injured, of whom two were referred to a higher medical centre. Rescue operations have been completed and no one else is feared trapped, he said. Heavy rain also disrupted normal life in Noida and neighbouring Ghaziabad, with widespread waterlogging, traffic snarls and a dramatic road cave-in in Vasundhara Sector 13. A section of a residential area road collapsed beside an under-construction basement, sending a parked car and a scooter into a pit, while a nearby electricity pole also tilted into the crater. No one was injured in the incident. Several areas of Noida witnessed knee-deep waterlogging, vehicles broke down on flooded roads and long traffic jams were reported, while Ghaziabad declared a holiday in government schools. The transport department office in Noida Sector 33 was submerged in the rains, while a similar scene was witnessed at the Civil Lines police station and Mahila Thana in Prayagraj also. During the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Thursday, Meerut recorded 94.9 mm rainfall, Muzaffarnagar 68.2 mm, Bareilly observatory 58.8 mm and Moradabad 22 mm. Among other prominent stations, Aligarh recorded 18 mm, Kanpur (IAF) (15.8 mm), Prayagraj (13.2 mm), Shahjahanpur (10 mm), Azamgarh (9.4 mm), Hardoi (9.2 mm) and Sultanpur (6 mm). The highest maximum temperature in the state was recorded at 36.2 degrees Celsius in Agra, followed by 35 degrees Celsius in Jhansi and Basti. Meerut remained among the coolest major cities with a maximum of 26.1 degrees Celsius, while Muzaffarnagar recorded 26.5 degrees Celsius and Aligarh 26.2 degrees Celsius. The IMD said monsoon activity has strengthened due to the movement of a low-pressure system over northwest Madhya Pradesh and an associated upper-air cyclonic circulation, which is expected to move north-northeastwards over the next 24 hours, enhancing rainfall across Uttar Pradesh. The department advised people in districts under red and orange alerts to remain cautious as intense rainfall may lead to waterlogging, reduced visibility, traffic disruption and localised flooding. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning are also likely in many parts of the state. PTI KIS/COR MNK MNK