In Haryana, rain was reported in Panchkula, Fatehabad, and Sirsa during the morning hours, while light showers continued in parts of the state later in the day.
File Photo: IANS
Widespread rainfall, thunderstorms, and gusty winds brought significant relief from the intense summer heat across Haryana, Punjab, and Chandigarh on Saturday, leading to a sharp decline in temperatures and prompting weather alerts in several districts.
In Haryana, rain was reported in Panchkula, Fatehabad, and Sirsa during the morning hours, while light showers continued in parts of the state later in the day. Hisar witnessed strong winds and dense cloud cover that turned daytime conditions unusually dark. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued alerts for thunderstorms and rain in Gurugram, Faridabad, Palwal, and Nuh, while yellow alerts remained in place for several northern and central districts, including Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Jind, Panipat, Sonipat, and Rohtak.
Advertisement
The changing weather pattern over the past two days has resulted in a sharp fall of 4.7 degrees Celsius in Haryana’s average maximum temperature. Strong winds were also reported from Rania in Sirsa, Fatehabad, Charkhi Dadri, and Mahendragarh. According to meteorological data, Sirsa recorded the state’s highest maximum temperature at 39.8 degrees Celsius on Friday, while temperatures remained below 38 degrees Celsius in major cities including Hisar, Ambala, Karnal, and Rohtak.
Advertisement
The most significant temperature drop was recorded in Charkhi Dadri, where the daytime temperature declined by 9.2 degrees Celsius within 24 hours. Night temperatures also witnessed a substantial fall, with the state’s average minimum temperature dropping by 2.8 degrees Celsius. Gurugram emerged as the coolest location in Haryana with a minimum temperature of 20 degrees Celsius, nearly six degrees below normal.
Weather experts have cautioned that the respite may be temporary. The IMD has forecast a return of intense heat during June, with temperatures potentially touching or exceeding 47 degrees Celsius in parts of the state. Sirsa and Rohtak have already recorded temperatures above 46 degrees Celsius this season.
Scientists said pre-monsoon activity is expected to reach Haryana between June 22 and June 25, while the southwest monsoon may enter the state after July 1 and could be delayed by nearly a week this year. Dr Madan Khichar, Head of the Agrometeorology Department at Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, said pre-monsoon conditions are likely to intensify during the third week of June, helping curb heatwave conditions.
Meanwhile, weather conditions also deteriorated across Punjab and Chandigarh. Hailstorms were reported in Pathankot during the early morning hours, followed by heavy rainfall that caused waterlogging in several areas. Chandigarh also witnessed rain accompanied by light hail. Mohali, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, and Faridkot received moderate to heavy showers, while strong winds in Amritsar damaged tree branches at some locations.
The Punjab State Disaster Management Authority warned that very dense fog could affect several districts, including Amritsar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, and Patiala over the next 24 hours. Residents have been advised to contact emergency services through the 112 helpline in case of emergencies.
According to the Meteorological Centre in Chandigarh, rainfall in the Himalayan region has contributed to a decline in temperatures across Punjab. Officials said heatwave conditions are likely to end completely by June 4. Director Surender Pal said isolated thunderstorms, rain, and lightning activity may continue on May 30, while only scattered light rainfall is expected between May 31 and June 4.
The weather department noted that the southwest monsoon remains stalled near Kerala despite reaching the Andaman region ahead of schedule. Punjab is expected to receive the monsoon by around June 25. However, experts have warned that the season may remain weaker than normal due to the impact of El Niño, potentially affecting rainfall distribution across the state.
Northern and eastern districts such as Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, and Rupnagar are expected to receive near-normal rainfall because of their proximity to the Shivalik hills. In contrast, central and south-western districts, including Ludhiana, Patiala, Bathinda, Mansa, Sangrur, Fazilka, and Ferozepur, may experience below-normal rainfall, raising concerns for the agriculture sector.
The prolonged heatwave also pushed Punjab’s power demand to 12,487 MW, with 6,911 MW sourced from the central power pool and 5,551 MW generated within the state. Authorities reiterated that adequate coal stocks are available to meet electricity requirements.
The state government has also announced summer vacations in schools from June 2 to June 30 and earlier revised office timings for government employees to 7:30 am to 1:30 pm in view of the prevailing heat conditions.
Advertisement
