Rainfall lashed various parts of Punjab and Haryana on Monday with the day temperatures witnessing a sharp decline from the normal level.

The minimum temperatures, however, settled upto seven notches above normal limits.

Chandigarh, the joint Capital of Punjab and Haryana witnessed 9.7 mm rains till Monday evening. The minimum temperature recorded in the city was 11.3 degrees while the maximum settled at 17.5 degree Celsius, three notches below normal.

As per the Met Department, Amritsar recorded 28 mm rainfall, Ludhiana 12 mm, Patiala 17 mm, Ambala 8.7 mm  and Hisar 2 mm till Monday evening.

The local Met Department has forecast thunderstorm accompanied with hail at some places of Punjab and Haryana with chances of heavy rain at isolated places till January 16. The Met also forecast dense fog in various parts of the two states on Tuesday.

Gurdaspur was the coldest in both the states with a low of 6 degrees Celsius.

The holy city of Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala in Punjab recorded the minimum at 10.2 degrees, 9.1 degrees and 8.9 degrees Celsius, respectively.

In the neighbouring Haryana, Karnal was the coldest with a minimum temperature of 6.8 degrees, while Ambala and Narnaul recorded 8.5 degrees each.  The minimum temperature recorded was 12.7 degrees in Sirsa, 7.8 degrees in Bhiwani and 11.8 degrees in Hisar.

After rainfall, the maximum temperature settled at 12.4 degrees in Amritsar, 15.2 degrees in Ludhiana, 14.8 degrees in Patiala, 15.7 degrees in Ambala and 16 degrees in Karnal.