Heavy rain continued to lash various parts of the region on Friday bringing down the temperature levels. Accompanied by strong winds and thunder, rains lashed Chandigarh and parts of Punjab and Haryana in last 24 hours.
According to the Meteorological Department, Amritsar in Punjab received heavy rainfall of 118 mm till Friday evening, Patiala recorded 53 mm rain, ludhiana 12 mm while in Haryana, Ambala received 51 mm rainfall, Bhiwani 8 mm and Hissar 3 mm.
Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, received 25 mm rainfall till Friday evening and it was still raining heavily late in the evening.
The Met Department has forecast heavy rain/thundershowers at most places during next 24 hours in Punjab and Haryana and light to moderate rainfall at many places during subsequent 24 hours.
A Met official said that heavy rainfall is likely to occur at places in Yamuna Nagar, Ambala, Panipat, Rohtak, Jhajjar, Bhiwani, Rewari, Fatehabad, Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Panchkula and Jind districts in Haryana. In Punjab, heavy rainfall is expected at some places in Amritsar, ludhiana, Jalandhar, Pathankot, Roopnagar, Sangrur, Patiala, Bathinda, SAS Nagar, Hoshiarpur districts.
The Met official said after heavy rainfall in many parts of Punjab, the rainfall deficit has narrowed down to 54 per cent now. From June to September 5, Punjab has received 192.6 mm rainfall against normal of 421.9 mm rainfall.
Haryana is now witnessing 60 per cent rainfall deficit after receiving 162.8 mm mm rainfall against normal of 401.9 3 mm rains. However, Chandigarh has recorded a high monsoon rainfall deficit of 65 per cent after receiving 252.9 mm rains against normal rainfall of 718 mm from June to September 5.
Barnala in Punjab is witnessing highest rainfall deficit of 88 per cent in the region. The district has recorded only 36.2 mm rainfall against normal rains of 295.6 mm so far. On the other hand, Rohtak in Haryana has witnessed high rain deficit of 82 per cent after receiving 83.3 mm rainfall against normal of 458.2 mm.
Among other districts, Sangrur in Punjab has so far recorded rain deficit of 78 per cent, Fatehgarh Sahib 76 per cent, Mansa 72 per cent, Patiala 72 per cent, Amritsar 68 per cent while in Haryana, Fatehabad recorded deficit of 75 per cent, Panipat 72 per cent, Sonepat 77 per cent and Kurukshetra 73 per cent.
Meanwhile, with heavy rainfall lashing many parts of the region, the temperature levels have plunged upto 10 notches below normal.
The holy city of Amritsar on Friday settled at a maximum temperature of 25.4 degree Celsius, ten notches below normal. ludhiana and Patiala recorded respective maximum temperatures of 26 degrees, seven notches below normal and 27.1 degree Celsius, six degrees below normal.
Chandigarh recorded a maximum temperature of 27.6 degree Celsius, five degrees below normal and minimum temperature of 24.6 degree Celsius.