Ahmedabad got deluged with very heavy rains, strong winds and lightning storm yesterday. Pouring rains disrupted flight schedules, both landing and take off, as few of them landed under risky inclement weather conditions in the evening hours. Narendra Modi stadium was soaked with pools and puddles of water due to non-stop rains during evening and night hours. The venue was waterlogged and the match was abandoned.
Ahmedabad received 55mm of rainfall in about 4 hours, nearly continuous and varying between moderate to heavy. Gujarat is not considered sensitive weather pocket around this time of the year. Thunderstorm activity picks up prior to arrival of monsoon in Ahmedabad. Such torrential rains are almost unprecedented during pre-monsoon season in May. Monthly normal rainfall is merely 5.5mm for the month of May with least chance of heavy thunderstorms and lightning. The city has received 63mm of rainfall during the weekend. Earlier, evening thunderstorm on 26th evening also disturbed the match schedule.
There is a cyclonic circulation over Southwest Rajasthan drenching that region with heavy to very heavy rains. Also, an anticyclonic circulation over Northeast Arabian Sea, off South Gujarat and Konkan coast. This feature is pumping plenty of moisture with southwesterly winds from Arabian Sea. Under the influence of both the systems, central and north Gujarat received scattered showers yesterday.
Though the IPL final has been rescheduled for today, the danger of weather playing spoilsport is not yet over. Both feature still hangs around over the same area. There is a threat of some interruption as the showers are likely today as well. The weather activity may commence a little early, albeit unlikely to be as severe as yesterday. Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad will find scattered showers today and tomorrow.
Image credits: Times of India
