With no heat wave reported in Punjab for the past three days, a wet spell expected over parts of Punjab and Haryana from May 28-31 will further bring down day temperatures by several degrees, offering a much-needed respite from the sweltering summers.
No large change in maximum temperatures is likely during the next two days and thereafter a fall by 6-8 degrees Celsius is likely over the subsequent three days, according to a bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on May 26. Temperatures, however, will rise by 2-4 degrees thereafter.
IMD has predicted light rain at isolated places in Punjab and Haryana on May 28 and 31 and light to moderate rainfall at many places in both the states on May 29 and 30, along with thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds. Hailstorms are also likely at isolated places on May 28 and 29.
Over the past 24 hours, the highest temperature recorded in Punjab was 45.8 degrees Celsius at Bathinda, while the lowest minimum temperature was 23.1 degree Celsius at Amritsar.
In Haryana, heatwave continued to prevail over parts of Sirsa, Rohtak and Ambala with day temperatures being above normal at some places by up to 4.7 degrees. The highest maximum temperature in the state was 46 degrees Celsius at Sirsa, while the lowest minimum was 23.2 degrees Celsius at Rohtak.
According to IMD, a western disturbance over Ladakh and its neighbourhood at 3.1 km above mean sea level has moved away northeastwards, while a trough persists from Punjab to northeast Arabian Sea across Pakistan at 1.5 km above mean sea level. A fresh western disturbance is likely to affect north-west India from May 28.
Under the influence of these systems, scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall and thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds are likely over Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand from May 28-30 and over Himachal Pradesh on May 28 and 29.
Thundersqualls with wind speed reaching 70-80 kmph are likely over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Uttarakhand on May 28 and 29. Isolated hailstorm activity is also likely over Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi on these days.
