Chandigarh sizzles, records season’s warmest night at 31.8° Celsius, hottest in region
Wednesday witnessed the season’s warmest night in Chandigarh, with the minimum temperature soaring to a record high of 31.8° Celsius, which was the highest reading in the region comprising Punjab and Haryana.
None of the other 60 weather stations of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) spread across Punjab (26) and Haryana (34) recorded the minimum temperature on Wednesday night as high as 31.8° Celsius, recorded by the department’s observatory at Sector 39 here. It was 0.1 degree more than Tuesday night’s minimum reading of 31.7 degree Celsius and above normal by 5.5 degrees.
According to the IMD, the maximum temperature touching 40° Celsius and minimum temperature departure remaining between 4.5 and 6.4 degrees leads to warm nights while severe warm nights are witnessed when minimum temperature departure goes past 6.4 degrees, which seems not too far in Chandigarh.
Even as the maximum day temperature on Thursday dipped by 0.2 degree as compared to Wednesday, the severe heatwave swept the tricity region, comprising Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula, forcing the residents to stay indoors, especially during the peak afternoon hours.
It was the fifth consecutive day on Thursday when the local residents braved the scorching sun with the mercury hovering over the 40° Celsius-mark.
Tuesday had recorded the maximum temperature of 44° Celsius, which had remained the season’s hottest day here so far.
With the weathermen already issuing a red alert for severe heatwave at many places and warm nights in Chandigarh and at isolated places in Punjab and Haryana till Friday, the heatwave was observed in Amritsar, Ludhiana, Bathinda, Hisar and Narnaul in the region today. Besides Chandigarh, the warm nights were also recorded in Amritsar, Ludhiana, Ambala, Rohtak and Narnaul.
With no immediate relief from the intense heatwave conditions in sight till next week, the IMD on Thursday re-issued a red alert for severe heatwave and warm night in Chandigarh and at many places in Punjab and at a few places in Haryana on Friday.
The weathermen also re-issued orange alert for heatwave coupled with thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds at 40-50 kmph speed at isolated places in Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana on Saturday, and yellow alert at isolated places in the region on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
According to the Meteorological Centre in Chandigarh, the department’s observatory at Sector 39 recorded the highest maximum temperature of 41.7° Celsius while another observatory at the Indian Air Force (IAF) airport logged 41.4° Celsius on Thursday.
While Sirsa continued to remain the hottest place in the region for the second consecutive day on Thursday with the maximum temperature of 47.4° Celsius. Bathinda logged 46.8° Celsius to stay the hottest town in Punjab on Thursday.
However, Bathinda witnessed the coolest night in the region on Wednesday with a minimum temperature of 26.6° Celsius. In Haryana, Rewari recorded the lowest minimum temperature of 27.2° Celsius.
The MeT department has predicted no major change in the maximum temperature for the next five days in the region with warm night conditions likely to continue till Saturday.
It said the temperatures in Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula will remain maximum between 40 and 42° Celsius and minimum between 30 and 32° Celsius with no possibility of rain for the next five days.
Thursday’s maximum day temperature in the city was 0.2 degree above yesterday’s mercury reading and was above normal by 3.1 degrees.
“Maximum temperatures will remain between 46 and 48° Celsius over southern and south-western parts of Punjab and Haryana, leading to severe heatwave conditions in the region till June 14,” the IMD said, while predicting respite from scorching heatwave after June 14 when mercury will fall by 2 to 4 degrees.
PANCHKULA least hot IN TRICITY
Panchkula remained the coolest place in the tricity region on Thursday with maximum temperature of 39.3° Celsius and minimum of 30.3° Celsius. Mohali stood second with 40.5° Celsius and minimum temperature of 31.6° Celsius.
ADVISORY
Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun, especially during the peak hours
Stay hydrated
Wear lightweight, light-coloured loose cotton clothes
Cover your head with a cloth, hat or umbrella
Irrigate crops in evening or early morning hours
Chandigarh