Rain cools Tricity, temp dips 11°C

A spell of moderate to intense rainfall, coupled with thunderstorm and gusty winds, lashed Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula through Monday, with temperatures witnessing a sharp drop -- marking one of the most significant post-monsoon cool-downs of the season.

According to the Meteorological Centre, Chandigarh, the maximum temperature in the city plummeted to 24.8°C, which is 7.8°C below normal, while the minimum settled at 22.2°C, around 1.3°C above normal. The maximum temperature fell by 11 notches in 24 hours. Relative humidity fluctuated between 93% and 72%, keeping the air muggy amid intermittent lightning and thunderclaps. The city's observatory recorded 33.3 mm of rainfall till 5.30 pm, which was heaviest in the region.

Mohali recorded a maximum of 26.4°C, about 9°C below normal, with 32.5 mm rainfall in the past 24 hours, the second heaviest in the region. Panchkula, influenced by the same convective system, saw similar conditions with evening thunder and medium downpour sweeping several sectors.

The spell marked a dramatic turnaround after a dry and hot start to October, when temperatures had soared above 36°C just a day earlier. The maximum temperature in the city fell by nearly 11°C in 24 hours, while the average maximum temperatures across Punjab and Haryana were 7-9°C below normal, making Monday the coldest day of the month so far.

Over the next few days, the IMD expects the weather to gradually stabilise. The forecast shows partly cloudy sky with chances of thunder or rain on Tuesday (October 7), followed by mainly clear conditions from October 8 onwards. Day temperatures are likely to recover from 26°C on Monday to around 31°C by Friday, while minimums will hover between 19°C and 20°C.

Meteorologists attributed the sudden change to a western disturbance interacting with moist easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal, triggering intense convection across north India. "The interaction of two air masses created unstable atmospheric conditions, leading to thunderstorm development and heavy precipitation," a weatherman explained. The system is expected to move eastwards, leading to clearer sky mid-week.

Why wet weather this week

The intense spell is part of a post-monsoon convective system triggered by a western disturbance - a weather phenomenon originating over the Mediterranean region that travels eastward - which interacted with moist southeasterly winds from the Bay of Bengal. The collision of these contrasting air masses caused rapid cloud build-up, thunderstorms and localised hail. Such events are typical in early October when monsoon withdrawal is delayed, keeping the atmosphere humid and unstable.

As the system shifts towards northeast, dry northwesterly winds are expected to resume, leading to clearer sky and a gradual rise in day temperatures later this week.