Chandigarh, June 15: After a relentless week of scorching temperatures, Chandigarh finally experienced a slight reprieve from the heatwave on Sunday, with the day’s maximum temperature dropping by 4.5°C to settle at 37.7°C. However, this was offset by a record-warm night on Saturday, when the minimum temperature shot up to 32.7°C, among the highest night temperatures ever recorded in the region.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the city saw some overcast skies, light drizzles, and moderate winds during the first half of the day, which brought temporary comfort to residents. This brief relief came after seven consecutive days of searing heat that had kept most people indoors. On Sunday, many ventured out for the first time since June 8, as the mercury finally dipped below the 40°C mark.
“Cloudy skies and light rainfall in parts of the tricity helped bring some relief. We expect similar weather to continue over the next five days,” said an official from the Meteorological Centre, Chandigarh.
Despite this daytime drop, nighttime conditions worsened, with Saturday’s minimum temperature hitting 32.7°C — the highest this season and the third-highest recorded minimum in the combined regions of Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh. In comparison, Friday night was notably cooler at 28.6°C, which was 4.1 degrees lower than Saturday and 2.3 degrees below the normal for this time of year.
Other cities across the region also reported extreme night temperatures. Haryana’s Sirsa and Rohtak were the warmest, logging minimum temperatures of 34.2°C and 33.2°C respectively.
Forecasts from the IMD suggest that the tricity region — comprising Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula — is likely to see continued relief with partly cloudy skies, intermittent thunderstorms, and light rain until at least June 20. A yellow alert remains in effect until June 21 for isolated spots in Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh, warning of thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40–50 kmph.
The Met office expects maximum temperatures in the coming days to range between 33°C and 36°C, with nighttime temperatures staying between 27°C and 29°C.
On Sunday, the IMD observatory in Sector 39 recorded a high of 37.7°C, while the Indian Air Force station at the airport logged 37.4°C. The day’s temperature was 1.1°C below normal for this time of the year.
In the tricity comparison, Panchkula emerged as the coolest during the day with a maximum of 36.1°C. Mohali recorded the lowest minimum at 27.5°C, while Chandigarh remained the warmest on both counts.
Tricity Temperatures (°C):
Chandigarh – Max: 37.7, Min: 32.7
Mohali – Max: 37.0, Min: 27.5
Panchkula – Max: 36.1, Min: 29.3
