New Delhi, Sep 22 (PTI) Parts of the country were lashed by rain on Tuesday as two people died in Uttar Pradesh after being struck by lightning, while dry and sultry weather prevailed in most of north India.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, rain lashed most places in Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Goa, Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Kerala.

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Isolated places in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kutch in Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry too received showers.

However, the national capital remained dry despite the meteorological department's forecast for showers in the evening. There has been no precipitation in the city for 13 days on the trot.

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According to the IMD forecast, moderate thunderstorm with lightning is likely in Delhi in the next 12 hours.

The last time the Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative data for the city, recorded any rainfall was on September 8 (1.3 mm). The city has witnessed only three rainy days this month.

Heat and humidity troubled the residents amid the lack of rains. The maximum temperature in the city settled three notches above the season's average at 37.1 degrees while the maximum humidity was recorded at 83 per cent.

Delhi has recorded 80 per cent less rainfall in September so far. The Safdarjung Observatory has recorded just 20.9 mm rainfall against the normal of 102 mm this month so far. Delhi recorded 237 mm rainfall in August, the highest for the month in seven years.

Overall, the city has recorded 576.5 mm rainfall against the usual of 624.3 mm since June 1, when the monsoon season starts. Hot and humid conditions prevailed at most places in Haryana and Punjab as the maximum temperatures in both the states hovered above normal limits.

Hisar, Bhiwani and Narnaul in Haryana recorded respective maximum temperatures of 38 degrees Celsius, 36.7 degrees Celsius and 38 degrees Celsius, according to the Meteorological department here.

Sultry weather also prevailed in Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, which recorded a high of 35.6 degrees Celsius.

In Punjab, Amritsar recorded a high of 36 degrees Celsius. Patiala and Ludhiana also recorded above normal maximum temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius and 35.6 degrees Celsius, respectively.

However, light to moderate rainfall occurred at a few places in eastern and western parts of Uttar Pradesh while thunderstorm, accompanied with lightning, occurred at isolated places in the state.

The Met department said rainfall/thundershower is very likely in most places in eastern and western Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday

Two people died due to lightning strike in the state's Azamgarh district.

After grazing their animals, Pramod Yadav (25) and Bhima Yadav (55) had gone to a sugarcane field in Raunapar area when it started raining. The two took shelter under a tree, where they were struck by lightning, an official said.

According to the IMD forecast, fairly widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy falls are very likely over Goa on September 23; western Uttar Pradesh on September 23, eastern Uttar Pradesh on September 23 and 24 and Bihar on from September 23 to 25.

Isolated extremely heavy rainfall is very likely over eastern Uttar Pradesh on September 23.

The IMD said, due to strong moist wind convergence from Bay of Bengal at lower tropospheric levels, widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy falls is likely to lash West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, and Meghalaya for the next two days till September 24.

Moderate thunderstorm with lightning is very likely at isolated places over parts of Rajasthan, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala, West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura during the next 12 hours.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)