Punjab and Haryana have showers, mercury rises

CHANDIGARH - Various parts of Punjab, Haryana and the joint capital city Chandigarh witnessed light to moderate rainfall Saturday morning.

Mercury saw a good rise, giving the people in the region a respite from the freezing conditions that lasted almost a fortnight.

Chandigarh recorded a minimum temperature of 12.2 degrees Celsius Saturday that was four degrees more than Friday. The city has received 1.4 mm rainfall since Friday.

Haryana’s Ambala town also registered a low of 12.3 degrees Celsius Saturday. Besides, Hisar and Karnal towns recorded 9.1 and 11 degrees Celsius respectively. The temperatures were appreciably higher than in the last few days.

“Some areas of Punjab were lashed by hailstorm late Friday. We are expecting more rains in the next 24 hours,” a Met official said here Saturday.

“Drizzle is still continuing in some parts of Punjab. There was fog in the wee hours Saturday at few places in Haryana but it soon lifted up,” he added.

In Punjab, Patiala city was warmest at 9.8 degrees Celsius. It was followed by Amritsar at 9.6 degrees.

Ludhiana recorded a low of 9 degrees Celsius and received a rainfall of 5.7 mm since Friday.

Hails and rains sent a wave of cheer among the farmer community of Punjab.

“This rain and hailstorm is very beneficial for the wheat. It helps in the better ripening of the crop,” Lakhwinder Singh, a Zirakpur-based farmer, told IANS.