Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh)Punjab and Chandigarh are likely to experience another round of monsoon activity today, with cloudy conditions and showers expected at several places. Chandigarh may remain partly cloudy and could receive one or two spells of thundershowers.
The state’s average maximum temperature has edged up by 0.3°C. Bathinda recorded the highest temperature at 38°C, indicating that warmer conditions are persisting despite the possibility of rain.
Gurdaspur remained the wettest district on Thursday, receiving 47.5 mm of rainfall. Rupnagar recorded 12 mm, while Ludhiana received 9.6 mm. Light showers were also reported from Ferozepur, Patiala and Jalandhar, as well as areas near Bhakra Dam.
More districts likely to receive rain
According to the Meteorological Centre, light to moderate rainfall is expected in Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr, Rupnagar and SAS Nagar.
Isolated rain is possible in Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib and Patiala. Several southern and central districts, including Ferozepur, Fazilka, Faridkot, Muktsar, Moga, Bathinda, Barnala, Mansa and Sangrur, may see scattered showers.
No rainfall was recorded in Chandigarh, Amritsar, Mohali, Sangrur and Hoshiarpur on Thursday.
Monsoon systems remain active
Weather conditions continue to be influenced by the monsoon over Punjab and Haryana. The monsoon trough is passing through Amritsar, while a Western Disturbance remains near northern Pakistan and Jammu.
The system that had been positioned over Haryana has moved towards north-western Uttar Pradesh. The system affecting Punjab has weakened, but atmospheric conditions remain favourable for cloud formation and spells of rain in parts of the region.
Power demand remains high
Punjab’s electricity requirement reached 13,705 MW on the evening of August 20. State-based power plants supplied 5,027 MW, while 8,668 MW was procured from outside sources.
The state drew 203 MW more electricity than its scheduled allocation, reflecting continued pressure on the power supply system.
Reservoir levels remain within limits
The latest figures indicate that water levels at Bhakra and Pong dams are still below their maximum permissible levels.
Bhakra Dam’s water level was 1,627.8 feet, against a maximum capacity of 1,680 feet. It received 57,297 cusecs of inflow and released 20,036 cusecs.
At Pong Dam, the water level stood at 1,361.09 feet, while its maximum capacity is 1,390 feet. The reservoir received 84,766 cusecs of water and released 9,007 cusecs.
For now, both reservoirs remain below their maximum levels. With rain forecast across parts of Punjab, authorities are continuing to monitor weather conditions and reservoir inflows closely.
