Chandigarh, Jan 23 (PTI) Ending a prolonged dry spell, Punjab and Haryana witnessed widespread rainfall on Friday, bringing cheers to the farmers, but disrupting normal life in some areas.
Rain was accompanied
by gusty winds at a few locations disrupting power supply for some time.
In Chandigarh, three boys aged 16, 15 and 11 were injured when the roof of their house collapsed in Manimajra amid heavy rain, SHO Maninder Singh said.
They were taken to a hospital and are said to be in a stable condition, he said.
A few incidents of trees getting uprooted due to heavy rain and strong winds were also reported. Police said that a big tree fell on the veranda of an elderly couple's house. They escaped narrowly.
In another incident, two cars and some electricity poles were damaged when a tree fell on them because of heavy rains and gusty winds.
Meanwhile, a portion of a false ceiling collapsed at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Chandigarh, during heavy rains on Friday. "No one was injured, and the repair work was immediately carried out," Dr Dasari Harish, Medical Superintendent of the hospital, said over the phone.
Heavy traffic congestion was also reported in some places in Punjab and Haryana.
After several days, minimum temperatures recorded an increase and were up by six notches above normal at many places.
Most places in the two states, including their joint capital Chandigarh, have been witnessing inclement weather since late Thursday night.
According to the local Met office, places in Punjab that received rain include Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Pathankot, Bathinda, Faridkot, Gurdaspur, Mansa and Rupnagar. Chandigarh was also lashed by heavy rain, with the minimum temperature settling at 10.9 degrees Celsius.
In Haryana, Ambala, Hisar, Karnal, Narnaul, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Sirsa and Sonipat received rainfall.
However, the farmers welcomed the rains, which ended a prolonged dry spell.
"After the end of the monsoon, we did not see a good spell of rain. But today's rain will benefit the crops. Our only concern is the strong winds," said Gurnam Singh, a Mohali-based farmer.
Dr Pavneet Kaur Kingra, Professor and Head, Climate Change and Agri Meteorology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, told PTI that the rain is going to be beneficial for the Rabi crops, including wheat.
"This spell is good for crops because in the Rabi season, we didn't experience much rain earlier. For all the Rabi crops, this spell of rain can provide the required moisture," she said.
Meanwhile, as per the Met department here, Karnal recorded a minimum temperature of 12.6 degrees Celsius, Hisar 12.3 degrees, Ambala 12 degrees, Gurugram 13.5 degrees and Sirsa 12.4 degrees Celsius.
In Punjab, Amritsar recorded a low of 11.5 degrees Celsius, Patiala 12 degrees, Pathankot 11.4 degrees, Bathinda 11 degrees, and Faridkot 11.5 degrees. PTI SUN HIG
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