Nation / Sun, 31 May 2026 The Tribune

Heavy rain, cool breeze turn Chandigarh weather pleasant; max temp drops to 25.3°C

Mohali received 17 mm of rainfall and Ludhiana logged an impressive 32.6 mm in the afternoon session alone. AdvertisementRain, cool breeze break heatwave's grip on ChandigarhAfter two days of red alerts that delivered nothing, Saturday finally made good on its billing. Chandigarh Tricity next 5-day forecastSunday: partly cloudy with thunderstorms and rain possible, max 30°C, min 18°C. Chandigarh nosedives below normalMaximum temperature at Chandigarh Weather Observatory was 25.3°C — a jaw-dropping 14.8°C below normal and 10.3°C lower than Friday. Maximum relative humidity was 81 per cent — up sharply from Friday’s parched 29 per cent — and minimum was 37 per cent.

The severe heatwave that had tormented Chandigarh and the wider Punjab-Haryana region since Monday met a decisive, drenching end on Saturday as heavy rain, thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds swept through the Tricity — sending the mercury into a freefall that stunned even hardened weather watchers.

The maximum temperature crashed 10.3 degrees from Friday to an extraordinary 25.3°C — a staggering 14.8 notches below normal and almost certainly the city’s lowest May maximum in recent memory.

The night was equally transformed: the minimum dipped five degrees from the previous night to 18°C, a remarkable 7.7 notches below normal.

The city recorded 24.6 mm of rainfall through Saturday — 6.4 mm in the overnight and early morning hours and an additional 18.2 mm from mid-morning through the afternoon — as what began as light to moderate showers gradually intensified into a heavy downpour accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and strong gusty winds.

The rainclouds relented around 3 pm, leaving behind cool, overcast, pleasantly breezy conditions — and the real possibility of another wet spell overnight or on Sunday. Mohali received 17 mm of rainfall and Ludhiana logged an impressive 32.6 mm in the afternoon session alone.

Rain, cool breeze break heatwave's grip on Chandigarh

After two days of red alerts that delivered nothing, Saturday finally made good on its billing.

The Tricity had woken to near-total darkness around 7:30 am — heavy, ominous clouds blotting out the morning light — before light to moderate rain began around 8 am.

Through the morning, the system steadily built and by afternoon thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds had rolled in, bringing the heavy downpour that broke the heatwave’s back.

The IMD’s initial red alert for the day was subsequently downgraded to an orange alert as the storm’s peak intensity moderated.

Residents throng Sukhna Lake, Rock Garden

The dramatic weather U-turn — from days of suffocating severe heatwave to a cool, wet, breezy Saturday evening — brought residents out in large numbers.

Sukhna Lake, Rock Garden, Rose Garden, Leisure Valley, Geri Route, Sector 17 Plaza, Elante Mall, CP67 Mall, and other public spaces saw enthusiastic crowds through the afternoon and evening.

Eateries and street food vendors did brisk business, with families and groups making the most of conditions that had seemed unimaginable just 72 hours earlier.

Rain, thunderstorm hit Punjab and Haryana

Light to moderate rain, hail, gusty winds, and thunderstorms occurred at a few places in Punjab and isolated places in Haryana in the past 24 hours.

Across Punjab, average maximum temperature crashed 8.5°C from Friday and was a remarkable 12.4°C below normal — the highest maximum recorded in the entire state was just 34.5°C in Bathinda.

In Haryana, the average maximum fell 1.7°C and was 8.9°C below normal, with the highest in the state at just 37.8°C in Faridabad. Average minimum temperature fell 1.4°C in Punjab, with Thein Dam in Pathankot recording 18.8°C — the lowest in the state.

In Haryana, the average minimum fell 1.1°C (2.6°C below normal), with Mahendragarh recording the state's lowest at 20.9°C.

The week ahead

The IMD’s 7-day forecast paints a clear picture of what lies ahead. The red alert for Saturday has been downgraded to orange by evening. Sunday and Monday both carry a yellow alert for thunderstorms and lightning with gusty winds of 40-50 kmph and isolated rain — a gentle wind-down of the storm system.

From Tuesday onwards, the region turns dry. Wednesday and Thursday will see mainly clear skies with no weather warning across Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana — and with the mercury climbing, the heat will steadily reassert itself.

A yellow alert returns on Friday for thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds of 40-50 kmph with isolated rain, offering the next brief wet window.

Chandigarh Tricity next 5-day forecast

Sunday: partly cloudy with thunderstorms and rain possible, max 30°C, min 18°C. Monday: partly cloudy, max 34°C, min 18°C — still pleasantly cool. Tuesday: partly cloudy, max 36°C, min 19°C — the heat begins returning. Wednesday: mainly clear sky, max 36°C, min 21°C. Thursday: mainly clear sky, max 37°C, min 22°C — solidly back in heat territory.

Chandigarh nosedives below normal

Maximum temperature at Chandigarh Weather Observatory was 25.3°C — a jaw-dropping 14.8°C below normal and 10.3°C lower than Friday. Minimum was 18°C (7.7°C below normal).

Maximum relative humidity was 81 per cent — up sharply from Friday’s parched 29 per cent — and minimum was 37 per cent. Total rainfall for the day was 24.6 mm, with 6.4 mm recorded by 8:30 am and a further 18.2 mm falling through the afternoon.

Seasonal rainfall from March 1 surged to 111.4 mm by morning (104.4 per cent of normal) and 129.6 mm by evening — well into surplus territory. Sunset on Sunday is at 7:18 pm and sunrise on Monday will be at 5:22 am.

IMD’s sobering monsoon forecast: Below-normal rain ahead

Even as Saturday’s downpour brought relief and celebration, the IMD’s updated long-range forecast for the 2026 southwest monsoon season carries a sobering message.

National monsoon seasonal rainfall (June-September 2026) is likely to be 90 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA) — below normal — with a model error of ±4 per cent.

For Northwest India, rainfall is likely to fall below 92 per cent of LPA, and for Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh, the probabilistic forecast indicates normal to below normal rainfall for the entire season.

June itself will set a challenging tone: below-normal monthly rainfall is very likely over most of the country, while above-normal maximum and minimum temperatures are forecast — a combination that will test the region through the critical kharif sowing period even as today’s welcome showers lift seasonal totals to a modest surplus.