New Delhi , June 16: Twelve people were killed in squalls and hailstorms in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh as heat wave conditions eased considerably in the Northern belt where day temperatures hovered below 40-degree Celsius mark at many places.
Rains drenched Punjab and Haryana cooling the region as mercury plummeted by two to 10 degrees Ccelsius bringing smiles on the faces of denizens.
Squalls and hailstorms claimed nine lives in Rajasthan and three in Uttar Pradesh and injured scores as mercury settled at bearable levels in the two states.
The day temperature touched 39 degrees Celsius in Kota, the highest in the desert state, while the maximum in Jaisalmer, Ganganagar and Bikaner stayed at 38.8, 38.2 and 37.8 degrees respectively.
Thanks to widespread rains, the weather was pleasant in Punjab and Haryana where Ludhiana was relatively cooler at 31.2 degree Celsius, down by ten notches.
The Union Territory of Chandigarh, which received 9.8 mm of rains, registered a high of 33.2 degrees, six notches below normal, to the delight of residents.
–Agencies–