Heavy rainfall lashes Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow, Oct 14 (IANS) Several parts of Uttar Pradesh were lashed by heavy rainfall, bringing down the temperature by several notches, authorities said on Tuesday.

Most parts of eastern UP saw overnight rain. Lucknow received 9.5 mm rainfall since Monday leading to a drop in the day temperature by five degrees to 27.7 degrees Celsius, the Met Office said.

The morning temperature here Tuesday was 23.6 degrees Celsius. The lowest temperature in the state Monday was recorded in Muzaffarnagar at 15.3 degrees Celsius.

The state capital faced winds with a speed of 35 – 45 km per hour, bringing down some hoardings and uprooting some trees.

J.P. Gupta, the regional Met director, told IANS that intensity of rainfall will increase Tuesday and Wednesday and the speed of the winds could also escalate.

"District administrations in Bahraich, Sitapur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Shrawasti, Gonda, Maharajganj and Gorakhpur have been alerted following heavy rainfall in the region," a state home department official said.

The downpour will benefit the farmers who have sown paddy. Agricultural scientists have, however, cautioned that winds could destroy the paddy crop.