Moderate to heavy rains today drenched Punjab and Haryana, resulting in a dip in temperature by several notches and bringing cheers on the faces of farmers who were experiencing a long dry spell.
As the region, reeling under acute power crisis, received its first widespread showers yesterday after arrival of the south-west monsoon on June 30, the mercury dropped by 2-6 degree Celsius.
Sangrur in Punjab recorded 135 mm downpour followed by Sunam(70 mm), Samrala(67 mm), Ropar(44 mm), Amloh(28 mm) and Ludhiana(18.6 mm), Met officials said.
Chandigarh received 5.8 mm of rain till early today.
Punjab Agricultural University shared the rains will be very beneficial for crops and farmers can complete paddy transplantation during this period.
The rains would boost production of kharif crops, it said.
In the absence of rains, the Haryana government formulated a contingency plan for farmers, suggesting cultivation of crops which do not require much water.