Clear skies in Mohali after thunderstorm

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Designer Sudhakar Yadav design a vehicle shaped in the form of the ICC Cricket World Cup trophy

Ahead of the crucial India-Pakistan cricket World Cup semi-final, the skies cleared up on Wednesday morning after a thunderstorm followed by light rain in Mohali and Chandigarh.

Met officials said the skies would remain clear for most of the day. They added, however, that there was possibility of light showers towards the evening.

The high-voltage semi-final clash between India and Pakistan starts at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium here at 2.30 p.m. It will be a day-night encounter.

Several high-profile people, including the Indian and Pakistani Prime Ministers, Manmohan Singh and Yousuf Raza Gilani, and Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her family (Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Robert Vadra) will watch the match amid unprecedented security cover.

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, union ministers, chief ministers governors of states, industrialist Mukesh Ambani and Bollywood celebrities like Aamir Khan and Deepika Padukone are expected to see the match.

Light rain had lashed Chandigarh, 10 km from here, and Mohali late on Tuesday evening. The showers were accompanied by thunder and strong winds leading to fears that the match, that has generated unprecedented excitement in the subcontinent, could be a washout.

"Partly cloudy sky will prevail over in the Mohali region on Wednesday. Thunderstorms and dust-storms along with light rain, by the evening, could also prevail in various parts of this region," a Met official had told media.