DW BUREAU / Chandigarh Many places in Haryana and Punjab registered a drop in maximum temperature on Saturday after rain lashed both the states a day ago, MeT department here said. The drop in mercury provided the much sought after respite to the masses from scorching heat that persisted in the Northwest region for the past few weeks. According to the Meteorological Department, the maximum temperature in Chandigarh, the common capital of both the states, plummeted to 31.6 degrees Celsius on Saturday from 37.2 degrees Celsius on Friday. The city recorded a maximum temperature of 41.4 degrees Celsius on Thursday. The maximum temperature dropped well below normal at most places after Friday rain, the department added. In Haryana's Ambala, the maximum temperature was recorded at 29 deg C on Saturday. Meanwhile, Karnal recorded a high of 30.3 deg C, Kurukshetra-29.7 deg C, Hisar-35 deg C and Rohtak-36.5 deg C. In Punjab, Jalandhar recorded a high of 27.4 deg C, Patiala-28.2 deg C and Amritsar and Ludhiana, identical highs of 28.4 deg C. Pathankot too registered a high of 32.4 deg C, whereas Bathinda's maximum settled at 33 deg C. (editor@dailyworld.in)