The brief respite brought by Sunday night’s thunderstorm has begun fading, with both day and night temperatures rising again across Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana even as the wait for the southwest monsoon continues.
A day after Chandigarh recorded the coolest night in the entire Punjab-Haryana region following 5.1 mm rainfall, the city witnessed a sharp rebound in temperatures on Tuesday. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Chandigarh’s minimum temperature jumped by 3.9 degrees Celsius to 26.1°C, one of the sharpest overnight increases in the region. Despite the steep rise, the minimum temperature remained 1.5 degrees below normal, reflecting the lingering cooling effect of Sunday’s showers. The maximum temperature also increased by 0.8 degree Celsius to 39.8°C, remaining 2.3 degrees above normal. No rainfall was recorded during the 24-hour period ending Wednesday morning.
Across Punjab, average minimum temperatures rose by 2.1 degrees Celsius, while average maximum temperatures increased by 0.7 degree Celsius, with both remaining close to normal levels. Bathinda emerged as the hottest location in Punjab at 41.6°C.
Haryana too witnessed a warming trend, with average maximum temperatures rising by 0.2 degree Celsius and average minimum temperatures by 0.5 degree Celsius, both remaining near normal. Faridabad recorded the state’s highest maximum temperature at 41.2°C.
The rise in temperatures comes even as meteorologists continue to track the progress of the southwest monsoon, which remains yet to reach Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana. While the monsoon has advanced into several parts of central and eastern India, its northwestern advance has slowed, delaying its arrival over the region. Weather experts attribute the delay to the absence of a strong monsoon-driving system and intermittent atmospheric conditions that have prevented a sustained northward push.
Adding to residents’ frustration, Wednesday’s weather warning followed a now familiar pattern. The IMD upgraded the day’s yellow alert to an orange alert, warning of thunderstorms, lightning and strong gusty winds. However, the alert remained largely ineffective across Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula till the filing of this report. Apart from overcast skies and brief spells of light drizzle in some areas during the afternoon, no significant weather activity was reported.
The experience mirrors several alerts issued over the past 10 days, many of which produced substantial weather activity elsewhere in Punjab and Haryana but had limited impact on the Tricity region.
According to the latest IMD bulletin, only light rain accompanied by gusty winds occurred at isolated places in Punjab and Haryana during the past 24 hours. The forecast for Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula indicates partly cloudy skies with the possibility of thunderstorms and light rain on Thursday and Friday, followed by mainly clear skies from Saturday onwards.
The IMD has retained a yellow alert for Thursday and Friday, warning of thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of 40-50 kmph at isolated places along with scattered showers. However, no weather warning or alert has been issued for Saturday and Sunday, suggesting a return to predominantly dry weather conditions over the weekend. The weather office has also indicated that yellow-alert conditions may re-emerge early next week, with fresh thunderstorm activity possible on Monday and Tuesday.
Temperature forecasts suggest little immediate relief from the heat. Maximum temperatures in the Tricity are expected to hover around 38°C through Friday before easing marginally to 37°C during the weekend, while minimum temperatures are forecast between 25°C and 26°C, keeping nights warm and increasingly humid.
A senior IMD meteorologist said the region remains caught between pre-monsoon instability and the delayed advance of the southwest monsoon.
“The recent thunderstorms have provided only temporary cooling. The sharp rise in night temperatures indicates increasing moisture and humidity in the lower atmosphere. While isolated thunderstorms and light showers will remain possible over the next two days, widespread rainfall is unlikely until the monsoon advances further into northwest India. Until then, temperatures will remain close to seasonal levels and residents should expect warm days and humid nights,” the meteorologist said.
For Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula, the forecast offers little indication of any sustained weather relief. With monsoon clouds still some distance away and weekend conditions expected to remain dry, the region appears set for another spell of hot afternoons and warm nights despite repeated thunderstorm warnings and fleeting spells of cloud cover.
