Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): A shift in weather patterns has brought relatively cooler conditions to Punjab and Chandigarh, with authorities maintaining a yellow alert for strong winds, lightning and scattered rainfall on Thursday.
The region recorded a slight decline in daytime temperatures, now hovering below seasonal averages. Despite this dip, Bathinda remained the warmest location in the state, recording close to 39°C.
The India Meteorological Department has warned of gusty winds reaching speeds of up to 50 km/h in certain districts, along with the possibility of thunderstorms. Areas including Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar and Mohali are expected to experience heightened weather activity during the day.
Rainfall has already been recorded in a few pockets, while cloud cover has expanded across several districts. Additional showers are likely in regions such as Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Patiala, contributing to the ongoing cooling trend.
Experts attribute the changing conditions to a western disturbance affecting northwestern parts of the country, combined with local atmospheric systems that are enhancing instability. These factors are expected to keep weather conditions dynamic over the next few days.
Looking ahead, forecasts indicate that temperatures may rise slightly after a brief stable period, before dipping again as another system approaches. Light rain and thunderstorms are likely to persist in phases until early May.
Residents have been advised to stay alert during periods of lightning and strong winds, even as the current conditions provide a break from the recent spell of extreme heat.
