Just when Chandigarh tricity appeared to have got away lightly on Tuesday morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a fresh yellow alert at 11:30 am, warning of thunderstorm with rain and strong gusty winds likely over parts of Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula and adjoining areas during the next two to three hours.
The latest radar picture released by the IMD shows active thunderstorm and rain cells bearing down on the Tricity region. Residents have been advised to move to safer places immediately and not take shelter under trees during thunderstorm activity.
Morning round: 5 am rain, over by sunrise
The day had already opened on a wet note. Following Monday’s orange alert, light to moderate widespread rain accompanied by thunderstorm and gusty winds lashed the Chandigarh tricity region around 5 am on Tuesday. The spell, however, lasted less than an hour and the skies had settled well before sunrise.
Chandigarh received 4.2 mm of rain by 8:30 am, the second highest recorded across Punjab and Haryana until that hour, behind only Pathankot’s 4.5 mm. Mohali logged 2.5 mm during the early morning hours.
Elsewhere in the region, Nawanshahr received 2.2 mm, Anandpur Sahib 0.5 mm, Bhiwani 2 mm, Karnal 1.8 mm, Yamunanagar 1 mm, Hisar 1.2 mm and Sirsa a trace. No other weather station across Punjab and Haryana recorded any measurable rainfall till 8:30 am Tuesday.
Nights: Slightly warmer but still below normal
Despite the rain activity, nights are gradually warming up. Chandigarh’s minimum temperature on Monday night edged up marginally by 0.9°C to settle at 22.8°C, still one degree below the seasonal normal. Mohali recorded a minimum of 22.6°C, one degree lower than Sunday night’s reading. Across Punjab and Haryana, Gurugram logged the lowest minimum temperature in Haryana at 21°C, while Anandpur Sahib recorded the coolest night in Punjab at 21.1°C. Compared to Sunday night, the average minimum temperature rose by 2°C across Punjab and by 0.3°C across Haryana, a steady upward trend that will accelerate once the active spell exits later this week.
What lies ahead
As reported earlier, the Western Disturbance — now positioned as an upper air cyclonic circulation over North Pakistan — is keeping the region unsettled through Friday. The orange alert that brought Tuesday’s early morning spell remains in force through today and Wednesday, with gusts of 50 to 60 kmph gusting up to 70 kmph possible at isolated places. The warning steps down to yellow from Thursday through Friday before the weekend turns dry and clear, with temperatures set to breach 40°C by Saturday.
