Region’s heaviest downpour throws life out of gear in Chandigarh

Chandigarh received the region’s heaviest rainfall, throwing normal life out of gear during the last 24 hours.

After receiving 34mm downpour a day before, the city recorded 119.5mm rain coupled with thunderstorm and lightning till 8.30 am on Sunday, which was the heaviest in Punjab and Haryana, the weathermen have confirmed.

The heaviest monsoon rainfall brought much relief from the hot weather conditions but left major parts of the Tricity inundated with roads caving in, trees and poles getting uprooted at several locations, damaging the public property, and major disruption in power and water supply, badly crippling the normal life.

The civic authorities were caught napping once again with the residents left to fend for themselves in the waterlogged roads and streets, caved-in road portions, clogged drains and road gullies with uprooted trees and poles falling on vehicles besides power and water supply remaining suspended for long hours.

In Mohali, the residents once again spent a sleepless night with no power supply from 11 pm to 5 am. The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) officials attributed the second major disruption after the 12-hour outage on Friday night to breakdown due to rain and thunderstorm.

Confirming that the South-West monsoon covered the entire country on Sunday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rain coupled with thunderstorm and lightning at isolated places in Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana on Monday.

“Light to moderate rainfall over many to most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places likely to continue over Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana till July 1,” the weathermen said.

They said the South-West monsoon has further advanced into remaining parts of Rajasthan, West Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and entire Delhi, covering the entire country today, against the normal date of covering the entire country on July 8.

“An upper air cyclonic circulation lies over north Haryana and neighbourhood and extends upto 1.5 km above mean sea level,” the IMD said, while observing light to moderate rain at few places in Haryana and many places in Punjab with heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places in Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana.

It said the chief amount of rainfall was recorded in Chandigarh (12cm), Ropar (11cm), Ambala Cantonment and Ambala City (9cm each).

“Thunderstorms also occurred at isolated places in Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana,” the weather department added.

Meanwhile, Chandigarh recorded a maximum of 30.2 and minimum 23.6°C on Sunday, which was 3.7 degrees and 0.2 degree, respectively, less than Saturday, and below normal by 6.1 and 3 degrees, respectively.

The weathermen have predicted a generally and partly cloudy sky with thunderstorms and rain in Tricity for the next five days till July 4. Light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning likely at most places in Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana on Monday.

Heavy rainfall (7cm or more) is very likely at isolated places over Chandigarh, northern and eastern parts of Punjab and Haryana on Monday.