Contrary to Met’s heavy rain forecast, city receives light showers

Contrary to the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall coupled with thunderstorms and lightning predicted in Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula and other parts of Punjab and Haryana for two days (Sunday and Monday), the tricity region received light rainfall of up to only 10mm today.

However, the weathermen have re-issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rain coupled with thunderstorms and lightning at isolated places in Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana on Monday.

Besides, a yellow alert for heavy rain at isolated places have also been re-sounded by the IMD for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Following the 10mm rainfall in Chandigarh, 1.5mm in Mohali and 2mm in Panchkula between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm on Sunday, the day and night temperatures in the region remained almost the same as on Saturday with minor dip of just 0.5° in maximum and minimum readings during the past 24 hours.

Chandigarh recorded a maximum of 33.3°C and minimum 27.8°C on Sunday, which was 0.5° below Saturday’s mercury and below normal by 1.1° and above normal by 1.2°, respectively.

The weathermen have predicted a generally and partly cloudy sky with thunderstorms and rain in the tricity till July 11.

Faridkot in Punjab and Mewat in Haryana recorded the highest minimum temperature of 29.3°C and 29.1°C, respectively, to be the warmest towns in the region on Friday night.

While Sirsa remained the hottest place in the region on Sunday as well with the maximum of 37.6°C, which was the highest in the region, Bathinda measured the maximum of 35°C to stay the hottest town in Punjab today again.

Hoshiarpur in Punjab and Sonipat in Haryana experienced the least warm night in the region on Saturday with the lowest minimum temperature of 22.7 and 25.8°C, respectively.

“As compared to yesterday, there was a fall of 1.8 and 0.9 degrees in average maximum temperature, with the mercury remaining below normal by 2.7 and 1.9 degrees in Punjab and Haryana, respectively, on Sunday,” the IMD said.

RECORD RAINFALL

Chandigarh had received 213mm rainfall during the past month, which was highest in the past decade and was 37 per cent more than the normal precipitation in June.

Also entering July with 31mm rainfall on the month’s very first day, the city recorded 221.2mm downpour from Sunday to Tuesday, which had brought much-relief from the hot weather conditions, but had left major parts of the tricity region inundated with roads continuing to cave in, trees and poles getting uprooted at several locations, damaging the public property, and major disruption in power and water supply, badly throwing the normal life out of gear for three days in a row.

Chandigarh