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Heavy rain in Himachal

Chandigarh, July 19
Breaking nearly fortnight-long dry spell, rain lashed the city and its adjoining areas, raising hopes of reviving the south-west monsoon in the region once again.

The city received sharp showers for a brief period this afternoon. “This indicates that the monsoon trough, which had shifted closer to the Himalayas, was now shifting southwards once again. Easterlies will also help circulate the moisture inflow,” Director of the Meteorological Department S.C. Bhan told PTI.

On Wednesday, only northern sectors of the city and adjoining Panchkula had received rain.

Amritsar received heavy rain that lasted over an hour while Ludhiana and Ferozepore also reported some rain last evening. Meanwhile, rain followed by a high velocity storm lashed Phagwara today.

Rains lashed many parts of Himachal Pradesh during the past 24 hours. Shimla received 5.4 mm of rain, Sundernagar 5.7 mm, Una 3.6 mm, Pandoh 28.0 mm, Bhang in Manali 18.0 mm and Solang Nullah received 20.0 mm of rain.

Even when monsoon activity in the region is reviving, statistics with the Met Department indicate that the states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh had received the lowest rainfall in the past decade. “The cumulative rainfall of these states this year recorded from June 1 till July 17 was 283 mm as against a mammoth 988 mm of rainfall last year. This year’s rainfall for these states, however, was a shade better than what it was in 1992 at 258 mm,” Mr Bhan said.

Punjab, which recorded a poor 70 mm of rain this year during the period, had received 314 mm of rain during the corresponding period last year.

Himachal Pradesh received 407 mm of rain last year as against only 158 mm received between June 1 and July 17 this year. Haryana received a rainfall of only 55 mm this year against 267 mm last year. In 1992, Haryana received a low rain at 53 mm, Punjab 76 mm and Himachal Pradesh got 158 mm during the period. PTI