Heavy Rain and Thunder Hit Lucknow, Causing Darkness and Waterlogging
Listen to the story
The city of Lucknow experienced very heavy rainfall along with thunder and lightning this week.
The storm made the sky so dark that it looked like night, even during the day.
Many drivers had to turn on their vehicle headlights just to see the road clearly.
According to reports, Lucknow received 61 percent more rain than its usual amount for this time of year.
This extra rain caused serious waterlogging in several parts of the city.
Waterlogging happens when water collects on roads and cannot drain away quickly.
It often makes travel difficult for both drivers and pedestrians.
Because of this problem, a local figure named Prabhunath Rai met with the city mayor.
He raised concerns about the waterlogging situation with the mayor directly.
A video from the Daliganj area of Lucknow showed heavy rain falling as evening approached.
The footage captured how quickly and strongly the rain began once the storm arrived.
This heavy rainfall is part of India's monsoon season, which usually brings large amounts of rain each year.
During monsoon, cities like Lucknow can receive sudden and intense downpours.
These downpours sometimes lead to flooding or waterlogging if the city's drainage systems cannot handle the extra water.
Local authorities are often asked to improve drainage during the monsoon months.
Residents of Lucknow are currently dealing with the effects of this heavy rain.
The unusual weather pattern has drawn attention from both citizens and local officials.
Vocabulary10 words
- rainfall
- the amount of rain that falls
- waterlogging
- when water stays on roads because it cannot drain
- mayor
- the top official who leads a city
- monsoon
- the season with heavy rain in South Asia
- drainage
- a system that carries away extra water
- downpour
- a sudden, heavy fall of rain
- authorities
- people in charge, like government officials
- vehicle
- a car, bus, or other machine for travel
- pedestrians
- people walking on the street
- footage
- video that shows something happening
Quiz
Answer key
1. 61 percent 2. Waterlogging 3. The city mayor
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
The city of Lucknow experienced very heavy _____ along with thunder and lightning this week.
The storm made the sky so dark that it looked like _____, even during the day.
Many drivers had to turn on their vehicle _____ just to see the road clearly.
According to reports, Lucknow received 61 _____ more rain than its usual amount.
This extra rain caused serious _____ in several parts of the city.
Because of this problem, a local figure named Prabhunath Rai met with the city _____.
A video from the Daliganj area of Lucknow showed heavy rain falling as _____ approached.
This heavy rainfall is part of India's _____ season, which brings large amounts of rain each year.
These downpours sometimes lead to flooding if the city's _____ systems cannot handle the extra water.
Residents of Lucknow are currently dealing with the effects of this heavy _____.
Discussion questions
- Have you ever experienced sudden heavy rain that made the sky dark during the day? What happened?
- Why do you think waterlogging is a common problem during monsoon season?
- What can city authorities do to reduce the effects of heavy rainfall on daily life?
- Do you think local leaders should meet officials quickly when problems like waterlogging happen? Why or why not?