LUCKNOW/MEERUT/VARANASI/GORAKHPUR/AGRA/KANPUR, July 11 -- Monsoon activity remained vigorous across Uttar Pradesh on Friday following widespread showers that brought pleasant weather to most parts of the state and narrowed the state's overall rain deficit for the season from 40% to 17% within 48 hours. Mawana in Meerut district recorded the state's highest rainfall of 315 mm during the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Friday, followed by Jansath in Muzaffarnagar with 270.1 mm. During the last 24 hours, Uttar Pradesh recorded an average rainfall of 23.7 mm in a single day; west UP received 28 mm and East UP 20.6 mm. For Saturday, the Indian Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert signifying a high probability of heavy to very heavy rainfall in 13 districts: Mau, Ballia, Deoria, Gorakhpur, Sant Kabir Nagar, Basti, Kushinagar, Maharajganj, Siddharthnagar, Gonda, Balrampur, Shravasti, Bahraich, and surrounding areas. The state capital received 13.3 mm rainfall (between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm on Friday), bringing down the maximum temperature to 32.3 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature was recorded at 26.2 degrees Celsius. The state capital's forecast for Saturday is overcast sky with a few spells of rain/thundershowers. Since June 1, Lucknow received 74.9 mm rain against a normal of 149.9 mm, according to IMD data. The state capital still remains in the "below normal" category with a 50% shortfall. Meerut recorded 181.3 mm rainfall in a 24-hour period from 8.30 am on Thursday till 8.30 am on Friday - its second highest single-day rainfall figure for July, behind only the all-time high of 227.1 mm recorded 117 years ago on July 20, 1909. Muzaffarnagar recorded 212.4 mm rainfall in the same 24-hour period. This was its third highest single-day rainfall figure for July, behind 306.4 mm recorded on July 28, 1983 and 213.6 mm recorded on July 28, 1981. In the last 24 hours, Haidergarh (Barabanki) and Chunar in Mirzapur received 160 mm rainfall, Sardhana in Meerut 116 mm, Chandauli 103.5 mm, Mirzapur 100.4 mm, Nagina (Bijnor) 81.6 mm, Nakur in Saharanpur 81 mm, Chandpur in Bijnor 78 mm, Balrampur, Basti CWC, Kanpur City and Auraiya 73.2 mm, Budhana (Muzaffarnagar) 72.4, Deoband (Saharanpur 71 mm), Banda 70 mm, Saharanpur 68 mm, Jaunpur 67.6 mm, Baberu (Banda) 67.4 and Lambhua (Sultanpur) 67 mm rainfall. IMD also issued a yellow alert in 28 districts, including Lucknow, Barabanki, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Prayagraj, Pratapgarh, Mirzapur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Sant Ravidas Nagar, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Azamgarh, Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur, Hardoi, Amethi, Sultanpur, Ayodhya, Moradabad, Ri8a7 ampur, Bareilly, Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur, and surrounding areas. Rainfall activity is expected to decrease gradually after July 11 and the temperature is very likely to rise from Monday (July 13). Since June 1, UP has recorded 140.9 mm of rainfall against a normal of 169.4 mm. West UP witnessed a 25% surplus, having received 180.1 mm against a normal of 143.7 mm. Conversely, East UP continues to face a significant deficit of 40%, having received 113.5 mm against a normal of 187.7 mm. Agra received rain since early Wednesday. A 68-year-old woman, identified as Ganga Devi, was yet to be traced after she was swept away in a drain below a shop which collapsed in old Agra's Subhash Bazar locality. In Aligarh, a woman was electrocuted in Shyam Nagar locality following rain. As Varanasi received 26.2 mm rainfall between Thursday and Friday, various localities were waterlogged, including Englishia Line, Mahmoorganj Andhrapul, Godowlia, Girjaghar, Dashashwamedh, Luxa, Gurubagh, Sonia, Sigra, Lanka, and Samneghat. Varanasi mayor Ashok Kumar Tiwari said the city's drainage is being repaired. Rainfall brought much-needed relief to residents in Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, and Deoria districts, spurring farmers to start sowing paddy. Gorakhpur recorded 37.1 mm rain, Basti 47.6 mm, Bansi in Siddharth Nagar 20.8 mm and Sant Kabir Nagar 12.3 mm in 24 hours Lightning claimed the life of a teenage boy in Kushinagar while he was in the family's agricultural field with his mother, officials said. Kanpur City recorded 32.8 mm rainfall, which began at around 11pm on Thursday, causing waterlogging, and road cave-ins at 14 locations....