Chandigarh, Oct 5: Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula experienced light rain and sporadic thunderstorms on Sunday as post-monsoon conditions kept skies cloudy and humidity levels high, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported.
In Chandigarh, the maximum temperature touched 36°C, around 2.2°C above the seasonal average, while the minimum fell to 19.4°C, 3.8°C below normal. The city recorded 0.7 mm of rainfall over the past 24 hours, with relative humidity fluctuating between 31% and 93%, creating a moist, sticky atmosphere.
Mohali remained one of Punjab’s warmest stations, with a maximum of 35.7°C and a minimum of 20.5°C, both close to normal. Panchkula also saw cloudy skies, brief spells of drizzle, and occasional thunder, adding to the muggy feel of the day.
“Residual monsoon moisture combined with local convective activity is triggering isolated thunderstorms across northwest India,” an IMD official noted. “Completely dry conditions are likely to be delayed until later this week.”
The IMD’s five-day forecast for the tricity predicts generally cloudy skies with chances of thunder and rain on Monday, October 6, turning partly cloudy on Tuesday, and mainly clear from October 8 onwards. Day temperatures are expected to hover between 27°C and 30°C, while nights will remain pleasant around 19°C to 21°C.
Experts say that October often brings scattered rain and thunderstorms even after the southwest monsoon formally retreats. “Moisture-laden winds from the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea persist over the region,” the IMD official explained. “Local heating can trigger convective clouds, leading to short-lived thunderstorms. Combined with post-monsoon humidity and occasional western disturbances, this results in unstable weather before the dry, cool spell sets in later in the month.”
