Lucknow woke up to light drizzle and chilly weather on Thursday morning as Cyclonic storm Montha impacts eastern Uttar Pradesh. The capital experienced overcast skies with temperatures hovering around 23-24 degrees Celsius, accompanied by intermittent drizzle and cloud cover. Thunderstorms with heavy rainfall are possible during mid-afternoon.

The unseasonal rains have brought welcome relief to the air quality as well. Lucknow's AQI improved dramatically to 58 on Wednesday, the best post-Diwali reading, compared to 123 on Tuesday and 174 on Monday. The city recorded 1.7 mm average rainfall on Tuesday, with the highest at Aliganj and the airport (3.2 mm).

While the capital experiences mild weather disruption, 17 districts in Purvanchal face heavy rainfall alerts for Thursday and Friday. Areas including Varanasi, Prayagraj, Mirzapur, and surrounding regions should expect moderate to heavy rain with gusty winds. Temperatures in these districts may drop by 5-6 degrees Celsius.

The drizzle will continue until Saturday, with clear skies and rising temperatures expected from Sunday, November 2. Winter's early arrival has residents reaching for jackets and shawls as morning fog begins appearing across the state.