According to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), between August 24 and August 27, both Punjab and Haryana registered a 30-35 per cent jump in rainfall against normal, while Chandigarh remained slightly below average. (Express Photo)The past three days have brought a noticeable turnaround in rainfall across Punjab and Haryana, with several districts recording a sharp surge, pushing the overall monsoon rainfall figures into the positive zone. According to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), between August 24 and August 27, both Punjab and Haryana registered a 30-35 per cent jump in rainfall against normal, while Chandigarh remained slightly below average.State-level analysisOn August 24, Punjab’s rainfall stood at 320.2 mm against a normal of 338.2 mm, showing a -5 per cent deficit. However, within three days, it rose dramatically to 436.7 mm against 349 mm, marking an overall 25 per cent surplus.Haryana, too, recorded a jump from 357 mm against 322.7 mm on August 24 to 419.9 mm against the normal requirement of 335.3 mm on August 27, registering an overall 25 per cent surplus rainfall so far.Chandigarh remained more or less stable, with a marginal improvement – from 634.8 mm (-5 per cent) on August 24 to 677.4 mm (-2 per cent) on August 27.Punjab: from deficit to surplusPunjab witnessed the most significant shift. Districts such as Tarn Taran (73 per cent on August 24 to 130 per cent above normal on August 27), Pathankot (50 per cent to 73 per cent above normal), and Gurdaspur (36 per cent to 85 per cent above normal) recorded massive rainfall gains.Similarly, Ludhiana (23 per cent to 51 per cent surplus) and Moga (22 per cent to 60 per cent surplus) saw significant increases.Conversely, some districts remained deficit-hit, including Kapurthala (-67 per cent to -45 per cent), Mohali (-39 per cent to -32 per cent), and Muktsar (-37 per cent to -12 per cent), though the intensity of deficit reduced.Story continues below this adHaryana: widespread rain boostHaryana’s rainfall pattern also shifted upwards, with sharp increases in several districts. Mahendragarh witnessed the steepest jump, from 614.8 mm (94 per cent above normal) on August 24 to 686.1 mm (109 per cent above normal) on August 27.Other big gainers included Jhajjar (67 per cent to 81 per cent surplus), Kurukshetra (56 per cent to 69 per cent surplus), and Rewari (48 per cent to 59 per cent surplus).Even water-stressed belts like Fatehabad (10 per cent to 90 per cent surplus) and Hisar (18 per cent to 48 per cent surplus) saw dramatic gains.However, Ambala (-36per cent to -32per cent) and Panchkula (-41 per cent to -42per cent) continued to remain in deficit despite rainfall activity.Chandigarh: stable but slightly below normalStory continues below this adChandigarh’s rainfall showed only a modest rise, from -5 per cent to -2 per cent, keeping it slightly below the normal mark.Overall trendPunjab: Shifted from a 5 per cent deficit to 25 per cent surplus in three days.Haryana: Climbed from an 11 per cent surplus to 25 per cent surplus.Chandigarh: Improved slightly, remaining just 2 per cent below normal.This sharp escalation in rainfall, particularly from August 25 to 27, is expected to provide relief to farmers who were facing stress due to patchy showers earlier in the season. However, the surge has also raised concerns of localised flooding in low-lying areas, particularly in northern districts like Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran and Ropar in Punjab, and Yamuna Nagar, Kurukshetra and Mahendragarh in Haryana.Jaswant Singh, Director, Punjab Agriculture Department, said, “While the surge will help replenish groundwater and support late-sown crops, the uneven distribution could still pose challenges.”Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd