Ludhiana was brought to a standstill by torrential rain from Sunday night into Monday afternoon, recording a staggering 216 mm of rainfall in a 24-hour period. The downpour, a significant event in the city’s recent weather history, triggered a flood-like situation across the city, plunging most areas into darkness as power was shut off to prevent electrical hazards.
The continuous deluge inundated many areas with over a foot of rainwater, disrupting daily life and creating chaos for residents. To prevent short-circuiting and ensure safety, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) proactively cut power, leaving large parts of the city and its surrounding areas without electricity until late in the evening.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for the district on Monday, followed by an orange alert for Tuesday, indicating the severity of the weather. A nowcast (an update on the current weather and the next few hours) from the IMD warned of thunderstorms, lightning, and heavy rain in areas including Khanna, Payal, Ludhiana East, Samrala, Rup Nagar, Raikot, Jagraon, and Ludhiana West.
Record rain
This latest downpour contributes to a monsoon season that has already set new precipitation records for Ludhiana. The city has received a total of 616 mm of rainfall up to September 1, surpassing the total rainfall of 524 mm for the entire last monsoon season (June to September).
{{/usCountry}}This latest downpour contributes to a monsoon season that has already set new precipitation records for Ludhiana. The city has received a total of 616 mm of rainfall up to September 1, surpassing the total rainfall of 524 mm for the entire last monsoon season (June to September).
{{/usCountry}}Data from the IMD reveals this monsoon has been one of the wettest in years. In August, the city recorded 246 mm of rain, marking it as the second-highest August rainfall since 2000 and the highest since 2008. In July, the city received 311.9 mm of rain, more than double the amount received in July of last year; while in June, A total of 131.1 mm of rainfall was logged, the highest for the month since 2013.
Despite the exceptional rainfall so far, the IMD projects that the overall seasonal rainfall will be around normal, with the normal monsoon rainfall for Ludhiana (June to September) measured at 599.7 mm by the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) department of climate change and agricultural meteorology.