Chandigarh, Jan 24: Punjab has recorded more than double its usual rainfall for January following a weekend of intermittent showers across north-west India. The state received 27.2 mm of rain between January 1 and the morning of January 24, significantly exceeding the long-period average of 13.4 mm.
Weather officials noted that while most of the state experienced moderate rainfall, Gurdaspur emerged as the wettest district with 89.6 mm. Pathankot and SBS Nagar followed with 67.1 mm and 56.1 mm respectively. Other regions including Ludhiana, Patiala, and Ropar also saw heavy downpours that contributed to the surplus.
“Cold day conditions were observed at isolated places and cold wave to severe cold wave conditions were observed at many places,” the India Meteorological Department stated in a Saturday bulletin. The agency mentioned that temperatures have dipped below normal across the region, influenced by snow in the neighboring mountains.
Despite the widespread rain, some south-western pockets like Bathinda and Ferozepur continue to face a deficit. The IMD forecast indicates that while minimum temperatures may rise slightly in the coming days, a subsequent drop is expected. Forecasters directly said that dense fog and gusty winds remain a possibility for several districts through the end of the month.
