Squall, rain catch north Gujarat residents off guard

Palanpur/Vadodara Unseasonal rain accompanied by thunder, lightning and strong winds lashed several parts of Aravalli and Sabarkantha districts as well central Gujarat on Tuesday afternoon, catching people off guard.Towns including Modasa, Meghraj, and Bayad, along with nearby villages, witnessed a monsoon-like situation as several roads were waterlogged following the sudden burst.Himmatnagar recorded nearly 23mm of rainfall, while Talod got 18mmIn Modasa, a sudden downpour caused waterlogging in low-lying areas and on roads. The rain caught many residents off guard, triggering a scramble among street vendors and shoppers in busy markets as they rushed to take shelter.Streets in parts of Meghraj resembled flowing streams, making it difficult for motorists to navigate the roads.However, the unseasonal rainfall has increased anxiety among farmers who fear disease to the harvested as well as standing crops such as maize, wheat, bajra and mango due to humidity.In Bayad taluka, squally weather and rain broke tree branches, and a tree collapsed on the Bayad–Dahegam road, briefly disrupting traffic.Inclement weather also prevailed in Mahisagar, Panchmahal and Dahod districts in central Gujarat. Rainfall affected a large part of the Mahisagar district, with rain or hail falling in Lunawada, Balasinor and Virpur talukas. Both Lunawada and Balasinor saw hail in many villages apart from a sharp spell of rainfall.Rain with strong winds disrupted normal life in Godhra late in the afternoon, leading to some trees being uprooted. A tree fell near the gate of the Godhra Civil Hospital too.Dahod town saw light showers till late on Tuesday evening, but the rain gained intensity later. Other parts of the district, including Singvad, Sanjeli, Garbada, Devgadh Baria and Dhanpur, also received rainfall. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the Western Disturbance over northeast Pakistan and adjoining Afghanistan, along with cyclonic circulations over central Pakistan and northeast Rajasthan, is influencing weather conditions. The system may trigger rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds in parts of north and western India.Wet WednesdayFor Wednesday, the IMD has predicted similar weather in Banaskantha, Patan, Mehsana, Sabarkantha, Gandhinagar, Aravalli, Kheda, Ahmedabad, Anand, Panchmahal, Dahod, Mahisagar, Vadodara, Chhota Udepur, Narmada, Bharuch, Tapi and Dang, Surendranagar, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Amreli. Bhavnagar, Morbi, Dwarka, Botad and Kutch.