Nashik experienced moderate to heavy pre-monsoon showers on Tuesday afternoon, leading to the felling of around 20 trees and disrupting normal life, while the preparedness of the civic body came under scrutiny.
Rainfall Details and Impact
The two-hour downpour between 3 pm and 5 pm brought approximately 25 mm of rainfall. While it offered relief from the prevailing heat, it briefly affected traffic due to fallen trees and branches in various parts of the city. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Wednesday and Thursday.
Officials stated, "Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, light to moderate rainfall, and gusty winds with speeds ranging from 30 to 40 kmph at isolated locations are likely." They added that light rain activity will continue on Friday and Saturday.
Residents' Experience
Residents, especially those in markets and commercial areas, faced inconvenience during peak hours. However, many welcomed the drop in temperature after days of intense heat.
Civic Preparedness Concerns
The rain exposed gaps in the Nashik Municipal Corporation's preparedness. Pre-monsoon desilting work remains incomplete despite a May 31 deadline. Several nullahs (drains) are still uncleared, raising concerns of waterlogging if rainfall intensifies in the coming days.
Temperature Readings
Temperature readings showed a marginal dip, with the maximum at 36.8 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, down from 37.1 degrees Celsius on Monday. The minimum temperature fell to 22.9 degrees Celsius from 24.4 degrees Celsius. In the district, Malegaon recorded 40.8 degrees Celsius, slightly lower than the previous day's 41.4 degrees Celsius.
