Mercury rises in Punjab, Haryana

Chandigarh, May 8 (UNI) The mercury again rose in Punjab and Haryana but declined in Himachal Pradesh today.

While the mercury showed upward movement at Hissar, Karnal, Ambala, Ludhiana, Patiala and Chandigarh, the temperatures slightly dropped at Sundernagar, Bhuntar and Kalpa in Himachal Pradesh following rain at isolated places.

People in Hissar groaned under intense heat with the maximum touching 41.8 degrees celsius, turning it the hottest place in Haryana. Ambala and Karnal also showed rise in the temperatures, but the mercury hovered below normal. Ambala recorded 37.8 degrees, one degree below normal, and Karnal registered 37.0 degrees, two degrees down.

In Punjab, the temperature slightly plummeted Amritsar recording 39.4 degrees celsius while the temperartures rose at Ludhiana and Patiala, respectively recording 38.2 degrees and 38.6 degrees celsius.

The temperatures kept low at various places in Himachal Pradesh with Bhuntar in Kullu district recording 26.4 degrees, four degrees below normal, while Sundernagar in Mandi district registered 31.7 degrees celsius following rainfall. Bhuntar recorded 10 mm rain and Sundernagar 7 mm.

The temperature remained almost static at state capital of Shimla recording 25.1 degrees, three degrees above normal. The capital town reported trace rainfall.

The mercury also rose in Chandigarh to 38.2 degrees from 35.6 degrees recorded yesterday.

The Met office predicted light to moderate rain or thundershowers at many places in Himachal Pradesh and diststorm or thundershowers with light to moderate rain at few places in Haryana and Punjab during the next 24 hours.

Hailstorm or thundersquall with speed exceeding 45 km per hour is likely to occur at isolated places in the region during the period.

UNI