Chandigarh Tricity sees brief sunshine after season’s heaviest rainfall; orange alert looms
The India Meteorological Department has sounded an orange alert for Sunday, warning of cold wave conditions at isolated places and dense to very dense fog at a few locations over Tricity and adjoining areas
Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula saw the sun make a hesitant comeback on Saturday, a day after the region was battered by the season’s first and heaviest spell of rain, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and hail. The intense weather was triggered by a strong western disturbance that swept across northwest India on Thursday night.
The fleeting sunshine brought brief respite from the biting cold wave that had intensified following Friday’s rain. However, dense cloud cover lingered over the Tricity for most of the day, preventing any significant rise in temperatures, which remained well below normal.
In Chandigarh, the maximum temperature inched up by 1.2 degrees Celsius to 14.7 degrees Celsius, still 3.6 degrees below the seasonal average. Night temperatures, meanwhile, dropped sharply, with the minimum plunging by 5.6 degrees to 5.3 degrees Celsius—2.1 degrees below normal—underscoring the persistence of cold wave conditions.
The city recorded 27.1 mm of rainfall over the 24 hours between Thursday night and Friday night, while Saturday remained dry. Relative humidity stayed high, peaking at 90 per cent and dipping to a minimum of 57 per cent, reflecting residual moisture in the atmosphere.
Across the region, light to moderate rain and thunderstorms were reported at many places in Punjab and Haryana during the past 24 hours, with cold wave to severe cold wave conditions prevailing at several locations.
In Punjab, the highest maximum temperature was 17.2 degrees Celsius at Faridkot, while the lowest minimum dipped to 0.8 degrees Celsius at Bathinda. In Haryana, Indri recorded the highest maximum of 17.4 degrees Celsius, while Hisar saw the lowest minimum of 1.6 degrees Celsius, highlighting the widespread chill across the plains.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has sounded an orange alert for Sunday, warning of cold wave conditions at isolated places and dense to very dense fog at a few locations over the Tricity and adjoining areas.
While no alert has been issued so far for Republic Day on Monday, the forecast suggests the possibility of scattered light showers at isolated places, with otherwise dry weather conditions expected to prevail.
A fresh weather system is likely to affect the region on Tuesday and Wednesday, for which a yellow alert has been issued, forecasting fairly widespread rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds reaching speeds of 30-40 kmph at isolated places. From Thursday onwards, the weather is expected to turn largely dry again, though cloudiness may persist intermittently.
With sunshine battling clouds, cold tightening its grip, and another spell of rain lined up mid-week, the Tricity’s winter continues to swing sharply between brief relief and harsh reminders of the season.
Interestingly, Chandigarh’s temperatures remain much warmer than those in popular hill stations.
City vs hills
Place Maximum Minimum
Chandigarh 14.7°C 5.3°C
Shimla 8.8°C −0.5°C
Kufri 2.4°C −2.5°C
Manali 4.0°C −0.4°C
Srinagar 6.4°C −1.4°C
(SOURCE: IMD)
