Duststorm, rain brings brief relief

Kanpur: A dust storm accompanied by light rains on Wednesday afternoon brought brief relief to the residents of the city, but hot climatic conditions soon returned and once again baffled the citizens.

In fact, the respite lasted only for a short duration as the city later recorded a maximum temperature of 40.2 degree Celsius, almost 2 degree Celsius higher than Tuesday’s temperature. The minimum temperature also rose to 27.7 degree Celsius.

Though the maximum temperature was recorded at 40.2 degree Celsius, residents felt conditions closer to 45 degrees Celsius due to a high heat index. Bright sunshine and intense heat created dangerous conditions with a high UV index, necessitating precautions against heat stroke.

The maximum relative humidity was recorded at 71 percent while wind speed remained normal during most part of the day. However, around 2.30 pm, when the observatory recorded the day’s maximum temperature, climatic conditions changed suddenly. Thick cloud cover developed along with thunderstorm activity and soon a dust storm with wind speeds of 30 to 40 km per hour swept across the city. Light drizzle was also witnessed for a few minutes.

As soon as the disturbance passed, bright sunshine reappeared and hot weather conditions once again prevailed in the city.

According to the weather forecast received from the India Meteorological Department, dry weather accompanied by bright sunshine is expected in the Kanpur division on Thursday. Meteorologists have indicated that daytime temperatures are likely to rise gradually in the coming days.

S Sunil Pandey, weather expert of Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, talking to TOI, said that the dust storm and light drizzle provided temporary relief to the citizens, but also indicated that temperatures would rise gradually from Thursday onwards. He added that there is presently no indication of rainfall during the remaining part of this month.

In view of the rising mercury, Pandey advised residents to limit outdoor activities during afternoon hours, remain hydrated and wear loose light-coloured clothing. He also urged people to closely monitor vulnerable individuals for signs of heat exhaustion.