Heavy rains lash Punjab, a few places in Haryana

With the southwest monsoon inching closer to Punjab, the state saw heavy rainfall again, while many areas in neighbouring Haryana also received showers, causing a sharp fall in mercury.

Due to the advent of monsoon in Himachal Pradesh, neighbouring Punjab continued to be lashed by heavy pre-monsoon showers, the MeT Department said here.

The monsoon was expected to arrive in Punjab, Chandigarh and some parts of Haryana in a day or two, nearly 10 days before the usual date of its arrival, a weather official said.

Meanwhile, heavy downpour continued across Punjab, including Patiala (47.4 mm), Ludhiana (32.6 mm), Amritsar (15.7 mm), Balachaur (121.2 mm), Pathankot (6 mm), Nawanshahr (63.2 mm), Mansa (49.2 mm), Bathinda (50 mm), Rajpura (27.2 mm), Mukerian (16.5 mm) and Mohali (55 mm). Chandigarh was also lashed by heavy showers (58.5 mm).

In Haryana, Bhiwani (1 mm), Panchkula (10 mm), Ambala (46.7 mm), Kalka (35 mm), Hisar (59.8 mm), Yamunanagar (105 mm), Panipat (6 mm) were among those places that received pre-monsoon rains.

Moderate to rather heavy rain/thundershowers would occur at many places in Punjab and at some places in Haryana during the next two days, according to the MeT forecast.

The pre-monsoon showers during the past three days in the region have caused a sharp fall in the maximum temperatures, between 4-16 degrees, besides bringing cheer to the farmers. The power situation in the two states has also improved, but there were reports of supply being disrupted at some places in Punjab due to heavy rains.