Chandigarh sizzles after deluge, more rain predicted

After a deluge that disrupted normal life for three consecutive days, Chandigarh experienced another hot day on Wednesday. The day temperature rose by 6.5 degrees to reach 36.4 degrees Celsius, while the night temperature remained unchanged. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted more rainfall in Chandigarh and Punjab, with a yellow alert for heavy rain at isolated places from Thursday to Saturday, and in Haryana on Saturday. An orange alert has been issued for heavy to very heavy rain on Sunday, and a yellow alert for heavy to very heavy rain on Monday and heavy rain on Tuesday.

Chandigarh had received 213 mm of rainfall during the past month, which was the highest in the past decade and 37 per cent more than the normal precipitation in June. Entering July with 31 mm of rainfall on the month’s first day, the city recorded a 221.2 mm downpour from Sunday to Tuesday. This brought much-needed relief from the hot weather conditions but left major parts of the Tricity region, comprising Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula, inundated. Roads continued to cave in, trees and poles got uprooted at several locations, damaging public property, and causing major disruptions in power and water supply, badly disrupting normal life for the third consecutive day.

Meanwhile, Chandigarh recorded a maximum temperature of 36.4 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 24.8 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, which was 6.5 degrees above and similar to Tuesday’s mercury, and above normal by 0.9 and below normal by 2.3 degrees, respectively. The weather forecasters have predicted a generally cloudy and partly cloudy sky with thunderstorms and rain in the Tricity for the next five days till July 7.

Ropar in Punjab and Mewat in Haryana recorded the highest minimum temperatures of 28.9 and 29 degrees Celsius, respectively, making them the warmest towns in the region on Tuesday night. Sirsa remained the hottest place in the region on Wednesday with a maximum temperature of 37.4 degrees Celsius, which was the highest in the region. Bathinda measured a maximum temperature of 37.3 degrees Celsius, making it the hottest town in Punjab again. Pathankot in Punjab and Mahendragarh in Haryana experienced the least warm nights in the region on Tuesday with the lowest minimum temperatures of 23.9 and 24.3 degrees Celsius, respectively.

According to IMD, compared to the previous day, there was a rise of 5 and 2.9 degrees in the average maximum temperature, with the mercury remaining near normal in Punjab and Haryana, respectively, on Wednesday.

TRICITY MERCURY

CITY               MAX         MIN

Chandigarh      36.4°C       24.8°C

Mohali             35.8°C       26.2°C

Panchkula        34.3°C       24.7°C