India, May 30 -- A western disturbance brought respite from the scorching heat gripping the region as gusty winds reaching up to 80 km/h lashed Chandigarh and adjoining Panchkula and Mohali besides parts of Punjab and Haryana on Saturday morning.

The sudden change in weather prompted the India Meteorological Department to initially issue its highest red alert early in the morning, advising residents to take immediate precautions before downgrading it to an orange alert by 11am.

The meteorological observatory in Sector 39, Chandigarh, recorded 6.4mm of rainfall by 8.30am, though the airport observatory registered only a trace amount.

The rain and wind brought Chandigarh's minimum temperature down from 23degC on Friday to 19degC on Satur...