CHANDIGARH, June 14: After recording its warmest night of the season on Thursday, Chandigarh saw a brief dip in minimum temperature on Friday, offering temporary respite. But the relief was short-lived, as the city baked again under soaring daytime temperatures on Saturday. With little sign of monsoon showers, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for warm nights and thunderstorms with gusty winds in isolated areas of Chandigarh, Punjab, and Haryana through the weekend.
Thursday night’s minimum of 32.7°C marked an all-time high for Chandigarh, making it the third-highest minimum ever recorded in the region. Friday night brought some comfort, with the mercury dropping to 28.6°C — a 4.1-degree fall from the previous night, though still 2.3 degrees above normal. Elsewhere in the region, Haryana’s Rohtak and Punjab’s Faridkot registered the highest minimum temperatures at 30.8°C and 30.7°C, respectively.
Despite the overnight dip, the maximum temperature surged again on Saturday, with Chandigarh clocking 42.2°C — up by 2.5 degrees from the day before. Residents in the Tricity region—comprising Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula—remained largely indoors during peak afternoon hours, as the area witnessed its seventh consecutive day of temperatures above 40°C. The hottest day so far was Tuesday, when the temperature peaked at 44°C.
“The ongoing heatwave is expected to persist across southern and south-western parts of Punjab and Haryana,” an IMD official said. “While heatwave conditions may ease slightly, temperatures will stay in the 43°C to 45°C range until June 19.”
The forecast offers some relief, with a gradual decline in maximum temperatures by 3 to 5 degrees over the next three days. IMD has also warned of isolated thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds up to 50 kmph until Friday in parts of the region.
In the Tricity area, Panchkula emerged as the coolest spot on Saturday, recording the lowest maximum and minimum temperatures at 39.5°C and 26.4°C, respectively. Mohali, on the other hand, saw its warmest night of the season, with a minimum of 29.4°C. Chandigarh remained the hottest overall.
Tricity Temperature Snapshot (°C)
- Chandigarh: Max 42.2 | Min 28.6
- Mohali: Max 40.4 | Min 29.4
- Panchkula: Max 39.5 | Min 26.4
