Chandigarh: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast another active spell of monsoon rain across Punjab and Chandigarh, with wet weather likely to continue over the next four days. A Yellow Alert has been issued for multiple districts as authorities warned of thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds in several parts of the state.
According to the Chandigarh Meteorological Centre, rain-related activity is expected to intensify from Monday, particularly in districts bordering Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. Residents have been advised to remain cautious while travelling, especially in areas vulnerable to waterlogging and poor visibility.
A rainfall warning has been issued for 15 districts, with Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr and Rupnagar expected to witness relatively heavier showers. Intermittent rainfall is also likely in Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Moga, Bathinda, Barnala, Mansa, Sangrur, Fatehgarh Sahib and Mohali.
The weather department has further cautioned that strong winds reaching speeds of 40 to 50 kmph, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, may affect several districts during the day.
During the past 24 hours, scattered rainfall was recorded across Punjab, bringing temporary relief from humid conditions. Patiala emerged as the wettest location, while Jalandhar and Ludhiana also received significant rainfall. Despite the showers, temperatures remained close to normal, with Bathinda recording the state’s highest daytime temperature.
The rise in temperature over the weekend also pushed electricity demand higher. Official figures showed the state’s power requirement touching nearly 16,000 MW, with Punjab relying on both its own generating stations and electricity supplied through the central grid to meet consumption.
Meanwhile, authorities are closely monitoring water levels at major reservoirs. The Bhakra and Pong dams continue to receive substantial inflows due to upstream rainfall, while controlled water releases are being maintained to regulate storage levels.
Meteorological officials said conditions remain favourable for the southwest monsoon to advance into the remaining uncovered areas of Punjab and neighbouring Haryana. The presence of an active western disturbance is expected to sustain rainfall activity across northern India over the coming days.
The IMD has advised people to avoid unnecessary travel during periods of intense rainfall, stay away from low-lying areas prone to flooding, and exercise caution during thunderstorms and lightning.
