Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): After enduring several days of relentless heat, residents across Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh may finally see some weather relief as forecasts indicate the arrival of rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds later this week.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has continued its orange alert for heatwave conditions across the region until Wednesday, warning that daytime temperatures will remain significantly above normal before a major weather shift begins from Thursday onward.
On Monday, Chandigarh recorded a scorching 42.7 degrees Celsius, nearly three degrees above seasonal average, making it one of the hottest locations in Punjab after Bathinda, which touched 44.7 degrees Celsius. The city also experienced extremely dry conditions, with humidity dropping sharply during the afternoon.
Neighbouring Mohali recorded one of the warmest nights in the state, while several parts of Haryana remained trapped under intense heat, with Sirsa emerging as the hottest district at 46.2 degrees Celsius.
Weather experts said isolated light showers were reported at a few places in Punjab over the past 24 hours, while gusty winds were observed across several districts of both Punjab and Haryana. However, these scattered changes were not enough to significantly lower temperatures.
According to the latest forecast, Tuesday and Wednesday will remain largely clear and hot, with temperatures in Chandigarh and surrounding areas likely to hover between 41 and 42 degrees Celsius.
A noticeable shift is expected from Thursday, when partly cloudy skies may develop, followed by thunderstorms and isolated rainfall activity. By Friday and Saturday, widespread rain accompanied by strong winds of 50 to 60 kmph, lightning and isolated hailstorm activity is likely across large parts of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.
This weather system is expected to push temperatures down considerably, with daytime highs likely dropping to 37–38 degrees Celsius by the weekend, bringing the first meaningful break from the ongoing heatwave.
The IMD has also issued thunderstorm alerts for the latter half of the week, advising people to remain cautious during periods of strong winds and lightning.
Despite the current heat stress, weather officials noted that Chandigarh’s seasonal rainfall since March has remained slightly above normal, suggesting that pre-monsoon activity has so far remained healthy.
With monsoon patterns gradually strengthening, the coming rainfall could offer much-needed comfort to millions across north India battling one of the harshest heat spells of the season.
