Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar : The city experienced unexpected rainfall and a dust storm at around 4:45 pm on Wednesday, leading to a sudden drop in temperatures. The MGM observatory recorded a rainfall of 7.3 mm accompanied by an hourly wind speed of 13.6 km. Similarly, the Chikalthana observatory noted a rainfall of 6 mm.
The city, which had been enduring scorching heat throughout the day, witnessed a shift in weather patterns as cloudy skies emerged around 4:30 pm, followed by a surge in wind speed, resulting in a brief dust storm before the onset of rain. The downpour lasted for over 30 minutes, with higher intensity reported in areas including the university campus, Nandanvan Colony, Cantonment, and the collector office vicinity.
Meteorologist Srinivas Aundhkar attributed the unusual weather phenomenon to the weakening influence of El Nino, which typically brings rainfall by the end of December but had been prolonged due to its effects. He noted an increase in humidity in Maharashtra and mentioned hail and snowfall occurring in North India as contributing factors to the unexpected rainfall in parts of East Vidarbha and Marathwada.