Accompanied by strong winds, a thunderstorm lashed Chandigarh and its surrounding areas in Punjab and Haryana Thursday evening. The rain provided much-needed relief from the sweltering heat.
Scores of trees and electricity poles were uprooted due to the winds. Power supply was affected in most areas in Chandigarh.
Traffic was hit as water inundated most roads in Chandigarh and adjoining Panchkula (Haryana) and Mohali (Punjab).
Chandigarh recorded a maximum temperature of 42.6 degrees Celsius, making it a hot day. The rain in the evening cooled things drastically.
In Punjab, Amritsar and Ludhiana were the hottest at 44.8 degrees Celsius each while Patiala recorded a high of 44.6 degrees Celsius Thursday, Met officials said here.
In Haryana, Hisar was the hottest at 45.7 degrees Celsius, followed by Narnaul at 45.3 degrees Celsius.