Chandigarh, June 11, 2025 — With scorching temperatures gripping Punjab, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for June 12 and 13, warning of a continued severe heat wave across the state. The public has been advised to exercise extreme caution against heat-related illnesses.
“Heat wave to severe heat wave conditions are likely to persist over northwest India, including the western Himalayan region, until June 13,” the IMD bulletin stated, adding that temperatures are expected to dip marginally thereafter.
Over the past 24 hours, multiple districts in Punjab recorded day temperatures significantly above normal. Northern districts such as Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Nawanshahar, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Patiala saw temperatures rise by up to 6.5°C above seasonal norms. In the south, districts including Fazilka, Muktsar, Faridkot, Ferozepur, Moga, Bathinda, Barnala, Mansa, Rupnagar, SAS Nagar, and parts of Sangrur experienced temperatures up to 4.4°C above normal.
Bathinda recorded both the highest and lowest temperature extremes in the state — peaking at a blistering 47.6°C during the day and dipping to 26.6°C at night.
The IMD forecasts no significant change in maximum temperatures for the next three days. However, a gradual drop of 2–4°C is expected after June 14. The weather will largely remain dry during this period, though isolated rainfall could occur afterward.
“Conditions remain dry for the immediate term,” the IMD noted, “but light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds of up to 50 kmph may develop over Himachal Pradesh from June 12 to 17 and parts of Punjab and Haryana from June 13 onward.”
The atmospheric setup includes an upper-air cyclonic circulation over Haryana at around 900 meters above sea level, along with a western disturbance currently located over Iran at 5,800 meters altitude. This disturbance is expected to move into north-western India by June 13, potentially bringing pre-monsoon showers.
The monsoon is projected to reach the eastern border of Himachal Pradesh by June 20 and enter Punjab around June 27. As of now, the northern limit of the monsoon extends across Mumbai, Ahilyanagar, Adilabad, Bhawanipatna, Puri, Sandhead Island, Balurghat, and most of the northeastern region.
“Favorable conditions are likely to support further advancement of the monsoon over parts of central and eastern India around June 14,” the IMD said. It also warned of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall over south peninsular India and Konkan-Goa between June 12 and 16, where rain has already begun in several areas.
