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Heavy rain lashed several parts of Punjab on Wednesday, bringing residents relief from the scorching heat and humid weather conditions. The showers are not only expected to reduce the burden on groundwater which was being extracted for the ongoing paddy sowing and irrigation but also led to a 5.5° Celsius decrease in the average maximum temperature.
According to the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Chandigarh centre, Ludhiana recorded the highest 103 mm rainfall on Wednesday between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm, followed by 80 mm rainfall in the Balachaur area of Nawanshahr district, 64 mm in Ropar, 47 mm in Jalandhar, 40.5 mm in Ferozepur, 33.5 mm in Gurdaspur, 21 mm in Patiala, and 18.5 mm rainfall in Amritsar. The remaining parts of the state also received rainfall ranging from 10 mm to 17.5 mm.
The highest maximum temperature was recorded in Bathinda at 35.2°C, while the remaining districts saw maximum temperatures ranging from 26.6°C to 32.6°C. According to the IMD, the lowest minimum temperature was recorded at
23°C in Pathankot.
According to the IMD, a fresh western disturbance is likely to affect the western Himalayan region from the night of July 8. Under its influence, light to moderate rain is expected at many/most places in Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh from July 5 to July 9, along with heavy rain at some places and the possibility of thunderstorms and lightning. The weather department has advised people to exercise caution while driving in the rain, to avoid shelter under trees, and to stay away from water bodies.
Haryana also witnessed light to moderate rain at several places on Wednesday. From June 1 to July
5, Punjab recorded 88.5 mm rainfall, which is 20% above the normal requirement of 73.7 mm. Similarly, Haryana received 86.9 mm rainfall, which is 22% above the normal requirement of 71.4 mm. Chandigarh, the joint capital of both states, recorded 183.3 mm rainfall, which is 4% below the normal average of 190.5 mm, according to the IMD.
Reports of uprooted trees and flooded localities were received from the Doaba region. In Hoshiarpur’s Dasuya, the house of one Narinder Singh collapsed in Dolowal village. He runs a tea stall near a brick kiln.
During the paddy season, nearly 15 lakh tube wells extract water from the ground for crop irrigation on a daily basis for the first 35-40 days. However, heavy rainfall can immensely reduce the burden on groundwater.
According to experts, there is no proper system to harvest rainwater in Punjab, especially in urban areas, resulting in waste of water.
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