CHANDIGARH, June 8 — Grid consumption across Punjab exceeded 12,000 megawatts today as a renewed heatwave pushed regional thermometers toward the 45-degree-Celsius mark, ending a brief period of seasonal relief. Weather scientists confirmed that a yellow alert is currently active for Punjab and Haryana through June 10, indicating that current extreme temperatures will intensify over the next 72 hours.
The rapid escalation in temperatures has complicated field operations for regional farmers, who are managing both sensitive horticulture crops and the initial launch of the seasonal rice cultivation cycle.
“Paddy sowing has started in more than a dozen districts of Punjab, where farmers have to work in the heat,” stated an agricultural department representative, adding that the remaining districts are locked into an inflexible schedule to begin their sowing operations on June 9.
The changing weather pattern reordered priorities for power management teams, who had briefly experienced lower distribution pressures when regional demand hovered around 10,000 megawatts earlier in the month.
“The department officials have claimed to have made all the necessary arrangements in view of the increasing demand for electricity,” noted a state operations bulletin, even as engineers prepare for peak loads that could test the 14,000-megawatt threshold.
Local temperature readings confirmed that the southwestern districts bore the brunt of the initial heat surge. While Bathinda and Rohtak led their respective states in peak heat, secondary markets experienced similar stress, with Patiala reaching 41.6 degrees Celsius, Ferozepur recording 40.8 degrees Celsius, and Amritsar registering 40.9 degrees Celsius.
Horticulturists across the state noted that the immediate moisture evaporation has forced them to implement emergency daily watering schedules for seasonal fruits and vegetables to preserve market quality.
