Chandigarh, May 19: Oppressive weather conditions expanded across northwest India on Monday, pushing daytime temperatures significantly above normal levels and breaking previous seasonal records.
The latest regional bulletins from the India Meteorological Department confirmed that a persistent arc of hot, dry northwesterly winds is driving the current thermal spike. Weather monitors noted that the prolonged dry spell will likely maintain maximum temperatures between 43 and 47 degrees Celsius across major stations, including Faridkot, Hisar, Narnaul, and Bhiwani.
The sharpest increases materialized in Punjab and Haryana, where local tracking stations recorded extreme departures from the seasonal average. Bathinda registered the highest temperature in the area at 47 degrees Celsius, while Haryana’s top readings occurred in Sirsa and Rohtak at 46.2 and 45.2 degrees Celsius, respectively.
“Warm and dry North Westerly winds are blowing over the region and it is likely to continue for the next 10 days,” Paul declared regarding the long-term outlook.
In Chandigarh, the daytime temperature reached 42 degrees Celsius, breaking the previous year’s full-month peak of 41.7 degrees Celsius documented on May 16, 2025. Local weather experts stated that the accelerated arrival of these extreme readings indicates an unusually intense summer cycle for the territory.
With no convective storms or rainfall predicted through the end of the week, administrative bodies have advised the public to minimize direct outdoor exposure during peak afternoon hours. Health officials stated that rising overnight temperatures, which are projected to hover around 26 degrees Celsius, pose an increased risk of heat-related exhaustion because the air fails to cool sufficiently after dark.
