Rains lashed several parts of Punjab, Haryana and their joint Capital Chandigarh, even as overcast skies pushed up the minimum temperature. For the wheat growers of the region, the rainfall has come at the right time.
Chandigarh recorded a minimum of 12 degrees Celsius, seven notches above normal, while the maximum settled at 15.7 degrees, five points below normal. In Haryana, Ambala received rainfall of 11.5 mm while it recorded a low at 11.8 degrees Celsius, up by six notches. The maximum stood at 15.1 degrees. In Punjab, Amritsar registered the lowest minimum in the region at 4.8 degrees Celsius. ludhiana and Patiala received rains of 2.6 and 2.2 mm while the minimum temperatures were recorded at 11.9 and 12.7 degrees Celsius, respectively.
The sudden rains are ideal for the wheat crop as it will help in boosting its output, Karnal-based Directorate of Wheat Research (DWR) has said. “Rains at this stage are beneficial for the wheat crop as it will have a positive impact on overall wheat production,” said Indu Sharma, Director, DWR. “Showers will help in crop tillering and its root system (for plant’s growth),” she added.
However, DWR has asked wheat growers not to let the rainwater stagnate in fields as it can be harmful for the crop. “Farmers should avoid stagnation of water in the fields as accumulated water could adversely affect root system of wheat crop which will have negative impact on overall output,” she warned, adding that farmers should keep their drainage system clean in the fields.
Manali gets more snowfall
Shimla: Popular hill station Manali in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday got a fresh blanket of snow, giving the resort and its neighbouring areas a more picturesque look. The residents of this town shivered as icy winds brought down the minimum temperature to minus 1 degree Celsius. However, state capital Shimla, which saw just snowflakes Friday, received 10.3 mm of rain overnight. The city saw a low of 3.2 degrees Celsius. Shimla’s nearby picturesque resorts like Kufri and Narkanda have been receiving intermittent snow.
“Heavy rainfall and snowfall may occur in the next 24 hours at isolated places in Shimla, lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur districts and parts of Kullu and Chamba districts,” a meteorological office statement said. Rain lashed lower areas of the state such as Dharamsala, Palampur, Solan, Nahan, Bilaspur, Una, Hamirpur and Mandi, bringing down the temperatures. Kalpa in Kinnaur district, which saw 9.2 cm snow, recorded a low of minus 1.2 degrees Celsius while the temperature was minus 7.6 degrees Celsius in Keylong. Dharamsala, which recorded 4.2 mm rain, registered 4.4 degrees Celsius.