City wakes up to stormy Sunday

TNNLudhiana: What appeared to be a clear, sunny May morning suddenly transformed into stormy chaos on Sunday. The dawn sky grew thick with rainclouds and the wind howled, causing city residents to marvel and cower simultaneously. As the wind tore through the city, tin sheds were ripped off and tree branches crashed down on roads. The smattering of clouds on Saturday evening did make residents look forward a cool weekend but no one was prepared for the thunderstorm that followed. While most people stayed indoors, a few ventured on to verandahs to shoot videos. Scared by loose objects flying around and reduced visibility, anxious residents called friends and relatives. However, the storm passed almost as suddenly as it had started, leaving signs of damage and a cool breeze. "While the rainfall brought relief from the heat, it was scary in the morning when high-speed winds shook up heavy objects. I was frightened," said city resident Amarjit Kaur. She said the rain also led to waterlogging, causing inconvenience.As per the met department, Ludhiana recorded 24.6 millimetres of rainfall from 8.30am on Saturday to 8.30am on Sunday, highest for any city in the state. Mohali received 19 millimetres rain. Patiala, Pathankot and Faridkot received trace amount of rainfall at the same time.The impact of rainfall reflected on minimum (night) temperature in Ludhiana, which was recorded at 18 degrees Celsius, 3.7 degrees below normal and 3.2 degrees less than a day before.Maximum (day) temperature was recorded at 33.4 degrees Celsius, 4.6 degrees below normal and 4.6 degrees less than a day before.The met department has issued an orange alert for the district in the next two days, predicting "thunderstorm accompanied with hailstorm and strong surface winds". The department also indicated that day temperature is likely to be below normal for the next few days."The storm was apocalyptical. It did not build up slowly but turned on its full fury in minutes. I was getting ready to make breakfast when the storm hit. I could do nothing till it passed because I feared damage to the house," said Sarika Chawla, a city resident. Santha Surendran, a nurse from the city, also said she was worried about damage. "Weather has turned unpredictable these days. Such an intense storm is not usual for the city. Normally, my gruelling work schedule does not even let me differentiate morning from night. On Sunday however, I was worried for everyone," she said. The exact wind speed could not be recorded as Ludhiana doesn't have an automatic weather station.Box 2: The forecastDate | Expected day temperatureMay 4 | 38May 5 | 37May 6 | 34May 7 | 36May 8 | 37MSID:: 130734631 413 |