After a week of largely ineffective weather warnings and unrealised rainfall forecasts, Chandigarh and the adjoining Tricity region are facing at least two more days of warm and humid conditions, with no significant rain activity expected before Sunday.
IMD Forecast Update
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday indicated that the possibility of widespread relief from the prevailing heat has once again been pushed back. Despite isolated thunderstorms being reported at a few locations in Punjab and Haryana during the past 24 hours, Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula remained dry, extending a trend in which several recent alerts and rain forecasts have produced little impact on the ground.
Temperature Trends
The latest bulletin shows temperatures continuing to edge upward across the region. Chandigarh recorded a maximum temperature of 39.2°C, up 0.9 degree from the previous day and 2.6 degrees above normal, while the minimum temperature remained unchanged at 25.5°C, though still 1 degree below normal. No rainfall was recorded during the previous 24 hours, with only a trace reported during the day.
Across the region, both Punjab and Haryana witnessed a fresh rise in temperatures. Haryana's average maximum temperature increased by 1.6 degrees Celsius, while Punjab recorded a rise of 1.2 degrees Celsius, leaving temperatures in both states near normal levels. Rohtak emerged as the hottest location in Haryana at 41.3°C, while Bathinda Airport recorded 42.2°C, the highest temperature in Punjab.
Nighttime Warming
The warming trend was even more pronounced during the night. Haryana’s average minimum temperature rose by 3.2 degrees Celsius, while Punjab registered an increase of 1.1 degrees Celsius, indicating increasingly humid and uncomfortable nights across much of the region.
Five-Day Forecast for Tricity
For Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula, IMD forecasts suggest partly cloudy skies will dominate throughout the next five days, but meaningful rainfall activity is unlikely until the weekend. The forecast points to dry weather on Friday and Saturday, followed by the possibility of light rain accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds on Sunday. However, scattered showers at isolated places have not been ruled out through June 22.
A yellow alert for thunderstorm, lightning with gusty winds at 40-50 kmph at isolated places has been issued till June 23, while no weather warning has been issued for Wednesday onwards, when the weather is likely to turn completely dry, signalling a relatively stable weather pattern despite persistent cloud cover.
Temperature Outlook
Daytime temperatures are expected to remain largely unchanged at around 37°C from Friday through Sunday, before easing marginally to 36°C on June 22 and 23. Night temperatures are forecast to stay elevated at around 26°C till Saturday and rise further to 27°C from Sunday onwards, reflecting the increasing moisture content in the atmosphere.
Previous Warnings and Current Conditions
The latest outlook marks a continuation of the active thunderstorm phase witnessed last week when red, orange and yellow alerts were issued in quick succession across the region. Several warnings issued over the past few days, including Thursday’s forecast of thunderstorm activity, ultimately failed to produce any substantial rainfall in the Tricity.
Meteorologists said the region currently remains under the influence of warm and humid pre-monsoon conditions. While cloud cover is expected to prevent temperatures from rising sharply into heatwave territory, the absence of meaningful rainfall until Sunday means residents are likely to continue experiencing hot afternoons and increasingly uncomfortable nights over the next few days.
The forecast suggests that any meaningful weather change is now likely only towards the end of the weekend, when isolated thunderstorm activity could bring brief relief from the prevailing heat and humidity.
