Lucknow, May 22: Lucknow recorded its hottest day of the season with the maximum temperature touching 43.6 degrees Celsius, surpassing last year’s May high of 42.4 degrees Celsius. The city woke up to intense heat on Friday morning with strong sunlight and hot winds sweeping across the region.
The India Meteorological Department has forecast that the maximum temperature in the state capital may touch 45 degrees Celsius on Friday, while the minimum temperature is likely to remain around 29 degrees Celsius. Heatwave conditions accompanied by winds blowing at up to 40 kmph are also expected.
Officials said there is a possibility that Lucknow could approach or even surpass its all-time May temperature record of 46.5 degrees Celsius recorded on May 31, 1995.
Administration issues heat precautions
In view of the severe heat conditions, the district administration has directed schools to remain closed for summer vacations, while hospitals have been asked to reserve emergency wards to deal with heat-related illnesses.
Meteorologist Atul Kumar Singh said temperatures are expected to remain above normal in the coming days. He said heatwave conditions would continue during daytime hours and the combination of cyclonic pressure over eastern Uttar Pradesh and rising humidity levels was making the real feel temperature harsher than the recorded temperature.
He also warned of unusually warm nights, saying higher night temperatures would worsen discomfort and health risks. He added that there was little chance of immediate relief from the heat in Lucknow and adjoining districts.
The weather department has advised people, especially children, elderly citizens and those suffering from illnesses, to remain cautious. Labourers and people working outdoors face a high risk of heatstroke and dehydration.
According to the department, the most severe heat conditions are expected between 11 am and 3 pm, when symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, weakness, skin rashes and heatstroke may occur.
Power cuts trigger protests
Amid the scorching heat, prolonged electricity cuts triggered protests in several parts of Lucknow on Thursday night. Angry residents surrounded power houses and staged demonstrations against outages lasting several hours.
At Gomtinagar Sector 5 power house, residents protested for more than three hours late into the night. Demonstrations were also held at Jankipuram, Bani, Faizullaganj and Indira Nagar Sector 25 power houses, where people raised slogans and argued with electricity department officials. Police teams were deployed to calm the protesters.
Police in Lucknow also registered a case against around 150 people who blocked Raebareli Road near the Utrethia underpass on Thursday in protest against power cuts. Residents had reportedly placed police barricades on the road and disrupted traffic.
Power demand rises across Uttar Pradesh
The power crisis has deepened across Uttar Pradesh amid rising temperatures. In many areas, water supply has also been affected, while small industries are facing disruptions due to unscheduled electricity cuts.
According to power department sources, demand for electricity in the state is expected to touch 33,000 megawatts this month. Engineers posted in different districts said they had been instructed to carry out unannounced load shedding whenever demand exceeded supply. They claimed coded messages regarding power cuts were circulated through internal social media groups.
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Officials said Uttar Pradesh has around 3.73 crore electricity consumers with an approved load of 8.57 crore kilowatts, while the corporation’s 132 KV substations have a capacity of only 6.25 crore kilowatts. Increased usage during peak hours, coupled with power theft and overloading, has led to transformer failures, burnt cables and damaged conductors in several places.
