CHANDIGARH, May 21 — A severe and persistent heatwave continues to impact normal life across Punjab and Haryana, forcing the India Meteorological Department to maintain an orange alert for a majority of districts across both states.
The latest data from regional monitoring stations indicates that day temperatures are hovering nearly five degrees Celsius above seasonal averages. Bathinda and Rohtak registered the highest temperatures in the northwest plains, with both urban centers breaching the 46 degrees Celsius mark during afternoon tracking.
Meteorological officials confirmed that dry weather conditions, strong solar radiation, and hot surface winds will persist across the plains without significant relief until at least May 26.
“The average maximum temperature in Punjab has increased by around 0.7°C in the past 24 hours,” a senior weather scientist at the Chandigarh meteorological centre stated. “Weather models suggest that southern and central Punjab districts, including Bathinda, Mansa, and Muktsar, will remain under the most intense heat stress over the coming days.”
The harsh daytime conditions have already begun altering commercial and agricultural schedules across the territory, with several outdoor workers shifting operational hours to avoid peak solar exposure.
Health administrators issued parallel public safety warnings, urging residents to stay indoors between noon and 4 p.m. to minimize the risk of thermal exhaustion and dehydration.
“Prolonged exposure to these extreme temperatures can lead to heat exhaustion and potentially life-threatening heat stroke if not treated promptly,” a medical superintendent at a state-run hospital noted. “Hospitals are prepared to see an increase in cases of dizziness, fatigue, and low blood pressure during such prolonged heat spells, especially among outdoor laborers and vulnerable age groups.”
While isolated mountainous tracts in neighboring Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir are experiencing brief thundershowers, weather analysts stated that these high-altitude systems will not bring any cooling trends to the parched agricultural belts of Punjab and Haryana.
