Lucknow (UP), Jul 17 (PTI) Heavy monsoon rains have pounded several parts of Uttar Pradesh over Wednesday and Thursday, causing waterlogging in cities and leading to a rise in the water levels of major rivers.

On the flip side, the downpour has provided a much-needed respite from the prevailing heat, bringing temperatures down across the state.

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According to information provided by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), districts including Prayagraj, Ballia, Bareilly, Agra, Jhansi, Kanpur and Barabanki have received above-average rainfall.

The state capital, Lucknow, recorded an average rainfall of 5.8 mm on Thursday, with maximum temperature dropping to 30.7 degrees Celsius and minimum to 25.6 degrees Celsius.

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Fatehgarh district, however, registered the highest maximum temperature at 36.4 degrees Celsius, while Etawah recorded the lowest minimum temperature at 23.4 degrees Celsius.

Life has been disrupted in several areas, particularly in the southern parts of UP, due to intense thunderstorms, heavy rainfall and widespread waterlogging.

The IMD has issued a warning of heavy rainfall for Friday and Saturday in districts such as Prayagraj, Banda, Chitrakoot, Jhansi, Lalitpur and Mahoba.

Additionally, a warning of heavy rainfall has been issued for 10 other districts, including Kanpur, Mathura and Agra.

Across 47 districts in the state, there is an apprehension of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning. During the rain, strong winds, ranging from 30 to 50 kmph, are forecasted for Mathura, Hathras, Etah, Agra, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etawah, Auraiya, Jalaun, Jhansi and Lalitpur.

Atul Kumar Singh, a senior scientist at the Regional Meteorological Centre in Lucknow, said, "Due to a low-pressure area formed around southeastern UP, heavy rains are indicated for Bundelkhand, Southern and Western UP on Friday."

The IMD has also issued a specific warning for very heavy rainfall at isolated places in the southern part of West UP and some parts of East UP for Friday.

Districts under alert include Mahoba, Jhansi, Lalitpur, Banda, Chitrakoot, Kanpur Dehat, Mathura, Agra, Firozabad, Etawah, Auraiya, Jalaun and Hamirpur, along with surrounding areas.

The rainfall has led to a rise in water levels of various rivers in the state. According to information provided by the Central Water Commission, rivers such as Rapti, Kwano, Sarju and Sharda were reported to be flowing near the danger level mark.

(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)