The temperature levels dropped at many places in Punjab and Haryana on Sunday following rainfall over the region in the past 24 hours.
The Meteorological Department officials said that the maximum temperatures were up to seven degrees below normal at some places.
Chandigarh, which experienced thunderstorms since Thursday morning, recorded a maximum temperature of 20.4 degrees Celsius, seven notches below what is normal for this time of the season. The minimum temperature here was recorded at 9.7 degrees, down by two degrees from normal.
Punjab’s holy city Amritsar was the coldest place in the two States with a minimum temperature of 6 degrees Celsius, down by four notches from normal level. Patiala settled at minimum of 9.3 degree Celsius, three notches below normal while ludhiana saw a low of 7.9 degrees Celsius, down by three degrees from normal.
Hisar in Haryana witnessed low temperature at 9.1 degree Celsius, five degrees below normal, Karnal recorded 9.2 degrees and Ambala settled at minimum temperature at 10.6 degree Celsius, two notches below normal. Ambala settled at maximum temperature of 21.7 degree Celsius, five degrees below normal, Hisar recorded 23.7 degrees, Narnaul saw 24.2 degree Celsius, Amritsar saw maximum of 19.9 degree Celsius, ludhiana recorded 21.4 degree Celsius and Patiala settled at 22 degree Celsius.
The Met Office said that the thunderstorms could occur at a few places in the next 24 hours at some places in the region.
Meanwhile, after two days of intermittent snowfall, Himachal Pradesh capital Shimla and its nearby tourist spots woke up to a sunny Sunday although the minimum temperature was recorded minus 0.9 degree Celsius.
The temperatures remained below the freezing point at most places in the state, said a Met official adding that it is likely to snow at some places till Monday.
Kalpa in Kinnaur district was the coldest place in Himachal with a low of seven degrees Celsius below the freezing point. Solan town recorded a low of 0.5 degree Celsius, while it was minus 3.8 degrees in Manali and 2.8 degrees above the freezing point in Kangra.
According to the weather office in Himachal, the western disturbances — a storm system originating in the Caspian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea which causes rain and snowfall in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent — will recede by Monday, resulting in dry weather.