Heavy rains lash Punjab, Haryana

Chandigarh: Widespread rains lashed several parts of Punjab and Haryana on Friday with Narnaul being the wettest with a maximum of 36 mm rainfall.

Chandigarh, the common capital of both states, received 1.8 mm of rain, a meteorological department official said here.

Among other places, Bathinda received 27.5 mm of rains, Faridkot 19.4 mm and Pathankot 17 mm in Punjab.

Ambala, Hisar, Karnal, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Sirsa, Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala witnessed rainfall measuring 2 mm, 10.2 mm, 12.2 mm, 14.6 mm,14.6 mm, 12 mm, 16.2 mm, 1.7 mm and 5 mm, respectively.

 The minimum temperatures in both states settled in the range of 12 to 15 degrees Celsius, an official said.

Meanwhile, a senior official of the Punjab agriculture department said rains at this stage would not cause any damage to standing wheat crop but added that downpour should not accompany high velocity winds for this to happen.

"If the rains are not accompanied by high velocity winds, then there is no need to worry," Punjab Agriculture Director Sutantar Kumar said.

Experts pointed out that high velocity winds could flatten wheat crop that would adversely impact the yield.