Lucknow, Jul 2 (IANS): Overcast skies and a slight drizzle in some parts of Uttar Pradesh gave people some relief from the summer heat on Saturday.

The Regional Met Department has predicted moderate to very heavy rains in eastern parts of the state, including capital Lucknow.

Met office Director J.P. Gupta said the temperature is likely to fall by three-four degrees over the next 24 hours till Sunday morning.

The minimum temperature recorded on Saturday in Lucknow was 21 degrees Celsius while the maximum is likely to be around 34 degrees Celsius.

The weather in Varanasi, Gorakhpur and Kanpur remains pleasant with the average temperature being 20-21 degrees Celsius.

The monsoon was to hit eastern Uttar Pradesh around June 23 but was delayed by over a week and only scanty rainfall has occurred in some regions.

The weatherman has predicted an "above normal (average)" monsoon for the state, which suffered drought and poor monsoon rains over the past two years.