A spell of medium to heavy rain lashed Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula early Friday, with Panchkula recording 99 mm — the highest rainfall in the Punjab-Haryana region — while Chandigarh received 31.8 mm and Mohali 16 mm.The rain began around 4 am, accompanied by thunder, and continued for nearly two hours. The spell was followed by cloudy skies and a mild breeze.Panchkula’s 99 mm rainfall falls in the IMD’s heavy rainfall category (64.5-115.5 mm), while Chandigarh’s 31.8 mm and Mohali’s 16 mm fall in the moderate rainfall category.Chandigarh records coolest night in regionThe rain brought down night temperatures across the Tricity. Chandigarh recorded 22.8°C, a drop of 1.2°C from the previous night and 2.5°C below normal, making it the coolest night temperature recorded in Punjab and Haryana.Mohali recorded a minimum of 23.9°C, down 2.5°C, while Panchkula’s minimum was 24.2°C, a decline of 0.4°C from the previous night.The rainfall also kept daytime temperatures subdued, with the IMD observing a fall in maximum temperatures across the region.Yellow alert for next two daysThe IMD has retained a yellow warning for heavy rain at isolated places on Friday, Saturday and Jattvibeday, with the broader forecast indicating fairly widespread rain activity over Haryana and Chandigarh during the period. The warning is for heavy rain at isolated places, while thunderstorm activity is also expected.For the Tricity, rain/thunderstorm activity remains in the forecast over the next few days, with temperatures expected to remain lower following Friday’s spell.Seasonal deficit narrowsFriday’s rainfall has added substantially to Chandigarh’s seasonal rainfall tally since June 1 and narrowed the cumulative deficit. The 31.8 mm received at Chandigarh forms part of the latest 24-hour rainfall total and will be reflected in the seasonal rainfall figures in the IMD’s latest bulletin.The latest spell comes after the city’s seasonal rainfall had remained below normal despite the 58.3 mm rain recorded on August 25.