Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula were drenched by rain on Friday, with an intense spell beginning around 4 am, accompanied by loud thunder, followed by another spell during the afternoon.Panchkula recorded 99 mm rainfall in the 24 hours ending 8.30 am and another 50.5 mm between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm, the highest rainfall in the Punjab-Haryana region during the respective observation period.The pre-dawn spell lasted for nearly two hours, after which the weather turned generally cloudy with a mild breeze. Another spell of light to moderate rain was recorded during the afternoon.Panchkula’s 99 mm rainfall in 24 hours was in the IMD’s heavy-rain category, while the additional 50.5 mm during the day was moderate rainfall. The rain led to waterlogging in low-lying areas, markets, parking lots, rotaries, roads and streets. With Friday being a holiday on account of Janmashtami, schoolchildren and office-goers largely escaped the disruption. Several roads and areas around temples were also waterlogged, causing inconvenience to devotees visiting them.Rain brought a sharp fall in daytime temperatures. Chandigarh airport recorded a maximum of 27.8°C, a sharpest drop of 8.8°C from Thursday and 5.3°C below normal. It was the lowest maximum temperature in the Punjab-Haryana region after Yamunanagar, where the maximum was 27.3°C, 0.5°C lower.At the Chandigarh city observatory, the maximum temperature was 31°C, down 3.7°C from the previous day and 2.1°C below normal.The night was cooler too. Chandigarh recorded a minimum of 22.8°C, down 1.2°C from the previous night and 2.5°C below normal, making it the lowest minimum temperature in Punjab and Haryana among the stations listed in the bulletin.Mohali recorded a maximum of 31.3°C, down 3.9°C, and a minimum of 23.9°C, down 2.5°C. Panchkula recorded 30.9°C as the maximum and 24.2°C as the minimum, the latter down 0.4°C.The Chandigarh city observatory recorded 31.8 mm rainfall in the 24 hours ending 8.30 am, followed by nil rainfall between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm. The Chandigarh IAF airport observatory recorded another 30 mm during the day.Mohali received 16 mm in the preceding 24 hours and another 0.5 mm during the day, taking its rainfall for the two observation periods to 16.5 mm.Panchkula recorded 99 mm in the 24 hours ending 8.30 am and 50.5 mm from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm.Humidity remains highDespite the sharp fall in temperature, humidity remained high in Chandigarh. The maximum relative humidity was 92 per cent and the minimum 72 per cent.Seasonal rainfall deficit narrowsChandigarh’s seasonal rainfall since June 1 increased to 642.5 mm by 5.30 pm on Friday, with the cumulative deficit narrowing to 12.3 per cent below normal. Friday’s rain therefore substantially improved the city’s seasonal rainfall position.Wet weekend, then no warningThe IMD has warned of heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places on Friday, followed by heavy rain at isolated places on Saturday and Jattvibeday. The spatial forecast indicates fairly widespread rainfall on Friday and Saturday, with activity becoming scattered on Jattvibeday and isolated thereafter.For the Tricity, thunderstorm/rain activity is forecast on September 5 and 6, followed by partly cloudy conditions on September 7-9. Maximum temperatures are expected at 35°C on September 5 and 6 and 36°C from September 7 to 9, while minimum temperatures are forecast at 24°C on September 5 and 6 and 25°C thereafter.No weather warning is forecast from Monday onwards, although isolated showers remain possible.