Weekend showers may bring relief to Nagpur & Vidarbha

Nagpur: After days of scorching heat across the region, parts of Vidarbha may see some relief this weekend with the forecast of rain, gusty winds and thunderstorms in several districts. Officials of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said thunderstorm activity is likely to develop due to continuous surface heating and local convection over the region. According to the forecast, Nagpur, Wardha, Bhandara, Gondia, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli districts are likely to witness rain accompanied by gusty winds and thunderstorms over the weekend. Among these districts, Chandrapur could experience three consecutive days of weather relief, with rainfall activity expected to begin from Friday and continue through Sunday. The other districts are likely to see thunderstorm activity mainly on Saturday and Sunday, which could temporarily bring down the soaring temperatures. The development came after intense heat prevailed across Vidarbha on Monday. Data from the India Meteorological Department showed heatwave conditions at isolated places, with Akola recording the highest temperature of 40.7°C, which was 4.7°C above normal.Another hotspot was Brahmapuri, where mercury touched 40.4°C, about 4.6°C above normal. Several other cities also recorded unusually high temperatures. Amravati logged 39.8°C, while Wardha was 39.5°C. Temperatures in Nagpur, Buldhana, Washim and Yavatmal hovered between 37°C and 39°C, remaining several degrees above the seasonal average.In Nagpur, mercury rose to 37.8°C, making the afternoon particularly harsh. Major roads wore a deserted look during peak afternoon hours as people preferred to remain indoors to avoid the heat. The continuous spell of hot days left citizens eagerly looking for respite from the scorching conditions.Meteorologists said the expected thunderstorm activity could lead to a temporary dip in day temperatures and provide a brief respite from the heat spell, though hot conditions may persist in parts of the region next week.