Chandigarh, May 12 — After days of unseasonal relief, typical May heat is poised to make a comeback in Chandigarh, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting a sharp rise in temperatures beginning midweek.
Cool winds swept across the city on Sunday night under a thickening cloud cover, momentarily easing the warm conditions.
However, IMD officials expect the mercury to climb again — reaching 40°C by Thursday and continuing to rise in the latter half of the month.
“The effect of multiple active weather systems is beginning to fade, and we’re heading back into regular May conditions,” said Surender Paul, director of IMD Chandigarh. “By Thursday, we expect the day temperature to touch 40°C again.”
According to Paul, two Western Disturbances (WDs) were active during the first ten days of May. In addition, weather systems over Rajasthan and the northeast drew in moisture from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, contributing to cooler, moist winds across the region.
These conditions collectively suppressed the usual temperature surge that May typically brings to the city.
“May is usually the hottest and driest month in Chandigarh,” Paul noted.
“This time, the confluence of three weather systems significantly moderated the heat.”
The impact was evident over the weekend. On Sunday, Chandigarh’s maximum temperature rose to 38.9°C — up from 36.6°C on Saturday and 1.4°C above normal.
Meanwhile, the minimum temperature dropped from 24.2°C to 22.7°C, settling 1.1°C below normal.
Despite an early monsoon forecast for Kerala — now expected around May 27 — Paul clarified that this does not translate to an early monsoon for Chandigarh.
“The monsoon takes about a month to travel from Kerala to the north,” he said.
“While early onset is usually a positive indicator, various climatic factors influence its path. As of now, Chandigarh’s monsoon is likely to arrive around the usual date, June 27.”
Last year, Chandigarh experienced an extreme temperature spike, recording an all-time high of 46.7°C at the city airport on May 29, 2024. The previous record was 46.5°C on May 28, 1988.
With the current systems weakening, residents should prepare for the return of peak summer conditions.
