By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 30 Jun: Widespread moderate to heavy rainfall was witnessed today across several parts of Uttarakhand, including Dehradun, bringing much-needed relief from the prolonged spell of heat and humidity.
At the same time, India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of more intense weather activity over the next 48 hours. The Meteorological Centre, Dehradun has issued a yellow alert for heavy rainfall at isolated places in Pauri, Pithoragarh and Bageshwar districts, while thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and intense spells of rain are likely to occur in the remaining districts. The IMD has also warned of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds reaching speeds of up to 40 kmph in isolated areas of Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar districts. The weather department has advised residents, pilgrims and tourists to remain alert, particularly in vulnerable hilly regions where heavy rainfall may trigger localised landslides, rockfalls and disruption to road connectivity, particularly in the hills.
Good amount of rainfall during the day brought considerable relief in Dehradun and several other districts after days of oppressive humidity. However, meteorologists said the respite is likely to remain temporary as humid conditions are expected to persist during breaks in rainfall. The delayed advance of the southwest monsoon into Uttarakhand has resulted in an extended spell of sultry weather across the plains, with daytime and night-time temperatures remaining above the comfort level despite intermittent showers. According to meteorologists, the monsoon has reached the state more than a week later than usual this year, resulting in a prolonged period of humid conditions before the onset of sustained rainfall.
The weather department has indicated that monsoon activity is likely to become more vigorous across Uttarakhand over the next two days as favourable atmospheric conditions develop over north-west India. The strengthening monsoon is expected to bring widespread rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and occasional heavy spells in several parts of the state. Similar forecasts have been issued by the IMD at the national level as monsoon activity intensifies across large parts of the country.
The changing weather pattern and delayed monsoon have also influenced summer conditions this year. Unlike previous years, maximum temperatures in the plains largely remained close to normal, barring a few isolated hot days. While this prevented the severe heat experienced during some earlier summers, the delay in the arrival of the monsoon prolonged humid conditions, making the weather increasingly uncomfortable for residents.
According to official observations, Dehradun recorded a maximum temperature of 34.2 degrees Celsius yesterday while today the temperatures were slightly lower than yesterday. The day began with bright sunshine and high humidity before weather conditions changed during the afternoon, leading to spells of moderate to heavy rainfall that brought temporary relief. Similar conditions prevailed in several other parts of Uttarakhand, where intermittent showers lowered daytime temperatures but were followed by uncomfortable humidity once the rain subsided.
The IMD has advised people, particularly those travelling to the Char Dham shrines and other hill destinations, to keep a close watch on the latest weather advisories and avoid unnecessary travel in areas vulnerable to landslides or waterlogging during periods of heavy rainfall. Authorities have also urged district administrations to remain prepared for localised weather-related disruptions as monsoon activity gathers pace across the state.
