Rain, hailstorm lash city, mercury plummets

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, March 14

Rain accompanied by hailstorm lashed the city and the surrounding areas this morning. Heavy hailstorm turned the city white giving it a look of a hill station covered with snow.

Heavy hailstorm took the residents by surprise. Hailstorm was seen accumulated along the road and on buildings. The hailstorm led to a sudden fall in temperatures that forced people to take out their woollens.

Excited residents rushed out to grab a fistful of hailstorm and put pictures on social media profiles.

The rain caused traffic jams and waterlogging in low-lying areas in the city. Moreover, there were a few areas in the city on the Mansa road, which were totally dry and did not get even a drop of rain.

The minimum temperature in the city was recorded at 10 degrees Celsius while the maximum stood at 20 degrees Celsius. According to the Meteorological Department, the city witnessed 7 mm of rainfall on Saturday.

The Weather Department had already predicted the possibility of hailstorm and heavy rain in Bathinda.

The sudden change in weather was due to mercury’s various moods, which can be attributed to western disturbance. Taking advantage of rain, auto drivers and rickshaw pullers in the city earned a buck by fleecing customers today.

Passengers going from Vishal Nagar to the Bathinda railway station for catching a train were fleeced by rickshaw pullers and auto drivers.