Hot weather conditions persist in region; squall hits city

Chandigarh, MaY 31 (UNI) Hot weather conditions persisted in the plains of Punjab and Haryana as the mercury further rose in these states but dropped in Himachal Pradesh following rain.

A squall, accompanied by sharp showers, hit Chandigarh and its adjoining areas this afternoon, blowing off hoardings, twisted signboards and broke off tree branches. However, the temperature remained static at 39.0 degrees Celsius which was also recorded yesterday in the city which recorded 25 mm rain.

Intense heat wave conditions prevailed in Hissar with the temperature staying at 42.2 degrees Celsius. The maximum also went up in other towns of Haryana, including Ambala recording 40.4 degrees and Karnal registering 39.8 degrees Celsius. Ambala experienced traces of rainfall.

The mercury showed upward movement in Punjab, touching 42 degrees at Ludhiana making it the hottest place in the state. Amritsar recorded 41.6 degrees, two degrees above normal, and Patiala showed 41.3 degrees. Amritsar reported slight rain.

The temperature, however, declined in Himachal Pradesh where several areas, including Bhuntar and Sundernagar, experienced rain.

Kalpa reported trace rainfall. State capital Shimla recorded the temperature at 25.8 degrees, two degrees above normal.

Western disturbance persisted over Jammu and Kashmir and adjoining Himachal Pradesh as an upper air cyclonic circulation extended upto 4.5 km above sea level, according to the weather office here. The induced upper air cyclonic circulation over north Rajasthan and neighbourhood now lay over west Uttar Pradesh and adjoining east Rajasthan and Haryana, extending upto 1.5 km above sea level.

The Weather Office here predicted moderate to rather heavy rain or thundershowers at many places in Himachal Pradesh and light to moderate rain or thundershowers at few places in Punjab and Haryana during the next 24 hours. Hailstorm or thundersquall with speed exceeding 65 km per hour is likely to occur at isolated places in the region during the period.

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