Mercury dips as rains lash parts of Punjab, Haryana
CHANDIGARH: Light to moderate rains lashed a few places in Punjab and Haryana on Wednesday, bringing down the mercury by a few notches.
Chandigarh, Mohali, Phagwara, Jalandhar, Ropar and Hoshiarpur were among the places which received intermittent rains. In Haryana, Panchkula, Kurukshetra, Yamunanagar, Kalka and Ambala received rains. The rain gave respite to residents from sweltering heat and also brought cheers to farmers readying their fields for paddy transplantation.
Rain is also considered beneficial for sugarcane and maize. According to Skymet Weather, a cyclonic circulation is seen over Punjab and adjoining Rajasthan.
TOURISTS FLOCK TO HIMACHAL
With mercury dropping after the showers, tourists from the plains were seen heading to Himachal to enjoy the pleasant weather.“It’s raining in the hills and tourists are keen to visit Shimla, Manali and unexplored parts of the state,” says tour planner Nishant Bharota.
“Earlier, tourists would avoid the hills during rainy days but this time queries are pouring in,” he said. Surender Sharma, a hotelier, said hotels are packed to capacity these days.
Shimla Met department director Manmohan Singh said more rain is expected on Thursday. The highway linking Manali with Leh was partially reopened for traffic on Wednesday after remaining shut for over six months owing to heavy snow, an official said.
MORE RAIN IN VALLEY
Several parts of Kashmir experienced heavy thundershowers and rain. A Met official said there was a possibility of rain in some parts of the Valley in the next two days. The Jammu-Srinagar highway was opened till 11 am and as many as 750 vehicles were allowed to pass.