Heavy rain and strong winds brought relief from intense heat across Punjab, including the provincial capital Lahore, with temperatures dropping significantly, officials said on Thursday.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), temperatures in several parts of Punjab fell after widespread rainfall and gusty winds swept across the province on Wednesday night.

Mandi Bahauddin recorded the highest rainfall at 23 millimetres, followed by Murree with 17mm.

Hafizabad and Sheikhupura each received 14mm of rain, while Gujranwala recorded 11mm and Lahore 10mm.

In Lahore, the overnight rainfall helped ease the heatwave conditions, with the current temperature recorded at 29 degrees Celsius and the ‘feel-like’ temperature at 33 degrees.

The PMD said the maximum temperature in Lahore is expected to reach 35 degrees Celsius later in the day, while the heat index, or ‘feel-like’ temperature, could climb to around 40 degrees due to high humidity levels.

Humidity in the city was recorded at 75%, contributing to the higher perceived temperature, while winds were blowing at a speed of 13 kilometres per hour.

The weather department has forecast partly cloudy conditions in Lahore, with intermittent sunshine and a chance of light to moderate rainfall during the day.

It also predicted further rain in the city over the next 24 hours.