Max temps drop in Punjab, Haryana after rains

The maximum temperatures dropped sharply today at most places in Punjab and Haryana, including Chandigarh, after many parts of the two states were lashed by rains.

Heavy to very heavy rain warning has been issued for isolated places in Haryana and Punjab over the next two days, according to the Met department here.

Bhiwani, Ambala, Hisar, Narnaul, Amritsar, Patiala and Chandigarh also received rains.

The maximum temperatures hovered below normal, Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states recorded a maximum of 31.9 degrees Celsius, five notches below the normal, a meteorological (Met) department report said.

In Haryana, Ambala recorded a high of 32.1 degrees Celsius, down five notches against the normal, while Narnaul's maximum dropped by ten notches against the normal to settle at 29.5 degrees Celsius.

Bhiwani registered a maximum of 34.8 degrees Celsius, while Hisar's maximum settled at 33.6 degrees Celsius, down six notches.

In Punjab, Ludhiana and Patiala recorded maximum temperatures of 29.7 degrees Celsius and 29.6 degrees Celsius, respectively, both down by seven to eight notches.

Amritsar's maximum settled at 30.6 degrees Celsius, seven degrees below the normal limit.

The Haryana Revenue and Disaster Management Department has issued an alert in view of the Met warning of heavy rain.

"The intensity of rainfall would be more in districts Kaithal, Karnal, Jind Panipat, Hisar, Fatehabad, Yamunanagar and Ambala with one or two spell of heavy rainfall (more than 7 cm) in these districts," a Haryana government spokesman said.

Rainfall conditions in the state would be heavy to very heavy on June 28 and 29, and heavy on June 30 and July 1, he said.