Heatwave grips Chandigarh as mercury hits 41°C; IMD issues yellow alert till Friday
Mohali logs Punjab’s warmest night at 24.8°C; Faridabad scorches at 42.9°C in Haryana as region braces for fiercer heat
The heatwave that has been gripping the Chandigarh Tricity and the broader Punjab–Haryana region since Monday shows no sign of relenting.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has maintained its yellow alert for heatwave and warm nights at isolated places across Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh through Friday, as it forecasts a further gradual rise in maximum temperatures of 3 to 5°C over the next five to six days. Chandigarh’s daytime high is projected to climb to 41°C by Friday.
Tuesday remained dry across both Punjab and Haryana. Chandigarh’s maximum temperature was nearly unchanged, dipping marginally by 0.1 degrees from Monday to settle at 38°C—still 2.1 degrees above normal. The city’s minimum temperature, however, has been on a sharp decline.
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After dropping by 0.5 degrees on Monday night, it recorded 18.1°C on Tuesday—3.2 degrees below normal—giving the Tricity a strikingly cool overnight contrast to its scorching days.
Relative humidity ranged from a dry 61 percent in the morning to an extremely low 16 percent by afternoon—one of the driest afternoon readings of the season so far—underscoring the increasingly arid and heat-stressed conditions settling over the region. Chandigarh's seasonal rainfall since March 1 remains unchanged at 73.4 mm, which is 149.7 percent above the seasonal normal.
Mohali’s warmest night; Punjab and Haryana under the hammer
While Chandigarh’s nights have been unusually cool, Mohali bucked the trend sharply, with its AWS station recording 24.8°C on Tuesday night—the warmest night across Punjab. Bathinda and Faridkot recorded the highest maximum temperatures in Punjab at 41.6°C each, followed by Patiala at 39.3°C and Ludhiana at 39°C. Punjab’s average maximum temperature was 1.9°C above normal. The lowest minimum in the state was recorded at Pathankot at 15.7°C.
In Haryana, Faridabad sizzled at 42.9°C—the highest maximum in the state—followed by Bhiwani at 42.5°C, Narnaul at 42°C, Gurugram at 41°C, and Sirsa at 41°C. Warm night and heatwave conditions were reported at isolated places in the state on Tuesday. Haryana’s average maximum temperature was 1.8°C above normal, while Karnal recorded the lowest minimum at 18°C.
Five-day Tricity outlook: No let-up
The coming days will see a steady rise in temperatures across Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula.
Wednesday and Thursday will be mainly clear, with maximum temperatures of 38°C and 39°C, respectively, and minimums of 19°C on both days. Friday will remain mainly clear, with the maximum touching 40°C and the minimum rising to 20°C.
The peak of the current heat spell is expected on Saturday, with a maximum of 41°C and a minimum of 21°C under mainly clear skies. Partly cloudy conditions on Sunday may bring slight relief, with the maximum temperature easing to 40°C and the minimum to 20°C.
The yellow alert for heatwave conditions remains in place for Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh through Friday, with no weather warnings currently forecast from Saturday onward.
