North gets pre-monsoon showers

Vast swathes of North India were lashed by pre-monsoon showers on Sunday causing a drop in temperature in the region which was reeling under intense heat wave. The Meteorological office in the national capital confirmed that "pre-monsoon" showers lashed Delhi minutes after the International Yoga Day event ended at Rajpath. The maximum temperature was recorded four notches below the season's average at 34.4 degrees Celsius while minimum temperature settled at 28.5 degrees Celsius. The humidity on the higher side hovered at 92 per cent while on the lower side it was recorded at 59 per cent. Uttar Pradesh witnessed light to moderate rains and thunder showers, with eastern part of the state getting heavy downpour in the last 24 hours. According to the Met department, chief amount of rainfall recorded in cm was Palliakalan 7, Nakur 3 respectively while Katerniaghat, Ghaziabad and Rampur settled for 1 each. The department has forecast more rain and thundershowers at isolated places in the state with heavy rainfall over the eastern region on June 24 and 25. Punjab and Haryana also got light to moderate rains, giving relief to people from the ongoing scorching heat. Areas which witnessed rains were Chandigarh 8.7 mm, Ambala 0.7 mm, Hisar 1.8 mm, Patiala 34.5 mm, Bhiwani 1.4 mm and Karnal 4.6 mm, MeT department report said today. Maximum temperatures dropped several notches below normal in both the states. UT Chandigarh recorded maximum at 34 deg C, 3 degrees below normal. In Haryana, Ambala and Hisar settled at 34 deg C and 37 deg C, down by three degrees below normal. MeT department has predicted light to moderate rains at few places in Punjab and Haryana in next 24 hours. Pre-monsoon showers also lashed parts of Rajasthan in the last 24 hours. In Jaipur the relative humidity was 87 per cent with sweltering weather conditions. Dabla, Rawatsar, Chohta areas recorded 4 cm rainfall each. Bhinay, Sayla, Sinderi 3 cms each, Khandar, Sangod, Tatgarh, Ajmer, Rani 2 cms each. Several areas of Himachal Pradesh were also lashed by showers which continued to lash most parts of the state. The local MeT office today warned of heavy to very heavy rains and thundershowers from June 23 to June 25. The maximum temperatures remained one to two degree below the normal level.