Maximum temperature in Ludhiana dropped by a sharp 11°C on Saturday after widespread rainfall swept across the city, ending a prolonged spell of intense heat and bringing temperatures well below normal levels.The district was also under a yellow alert for heatwave conditions at the time. (HT File)The city recorded 32.6 mm of rainfall during the day, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The maximum temperature settled at 26.4°C, 12.9°C below normal for this time of the year, while the minimum temperature fell marginally to 24.2°C, down 0.4°C from Friday but still 0.4°C above normal.The IMD has issued a yellow alert for Ludhiana on Sunday, forecasting thunderstorms, lightning, gusty winds and light rainfall in parts of the district. The city remained under an orange alert on Saturday as the weather department had forecast thunderstorms accompanied by strong winds and rain.Earlier, the IMD had placed the district under an orange alert from May 28 to May 30 in anticipation of significant weather activity across the region.The rainfall brought relief after an exceptionally hot spell during which Ludhiana recorded a maximum temperature of 43.8°C on Wednesday, 4.5°C above normal and among the highest temperatures of the season. The minimum temperature on the day had reached 25.8°C, remaining 2°C above normal.The district was also under a yellow alert for heatwave conditions at the time.Despite Saturday’s showers, seasonal rainfall in the district continues to remain below normal. Between March 1 and May 30, Ludhiana received 31 mm of rainfall, which is 41% below the seasonal average, indicating a continuing rainfall deficit.