Lucknow, Sep 3 (IANS): Heavy rains lashed the Uttar Pradesh capital and its neighbouring areas on Monday affecting normal life as people braced for the Janmashtami celebrations.

It was overcast and windy since morning. At around 11 a.m. it started raining heavily in and around Lucknow, which continued for more than two hours. Many localities were left waterlogged.

Water entered the houses in many places in old Lucknow, Sapru Marg, Narahi, Hariharnagar, Mulayamnagar, Jankipuram, Dubagga and low lying areas in Gomtinagar. Most of it was due to blocked drains, residents said.

Even major roads, intersections were flooded with rain water, bringing the traffic to a halt.

Many people out shopping for Lord Krishna's birthday on Janmashtami were caught in the heavy downpour. Large crowds gathered under flyovers.

Electricity was deliberately cut off in some areas to avoid accidents, while there were some "technical snags" as well as power cuts were reported from many areas.

Rains were also reported from Barabanki, Pratapgarh, Unnao, Mainpuri, Farrukhabad among others.

Most parts of western Uttar Pradesh, including Noida, Greater Noida, Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat and Meerut received heavy rains since morning. Even the parched district of Bundelkhand was lashed by heavy downpour.

The Regional Met Office has predicted thundershowers and more rains across the state in the next 48 hours till Wednesday.

Three persons were killed in a car pile up in Moradabad due to heavy rains in the regions, police said.

The vehicles skidded and rammed into each other on the Dalpatpur-Kashipur road, killing the three on the spot. Two others were also critically injured.