A day after the city recorded 31.4 mm rain, another 42.9 mm rain lashed the city on Thursday.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), 40.1 mm rain was logged before 8.30 am and 2.8 mm rain followed after that. Chances of rain are likely to continue on Friday too.
With rain early in the morning, followed by drizzle, cloudy weather and cool winds throughout the day, the maximum temperature plunged from 36.2°C on Wednesday to 30.1°C on Thursday, 1.8 degree below normal. This is the lowest since 29.5°C on September 13.
IMD officials said the rains were due to the monsoon system strengthening again. The 42.9 mm rain recorded at the IMD Sector 39 observatory in a single day is higher than last year, when September 18 was wettest with 19.3 mm rain. However, in 2022, 120.6 mm rain was recorded on September 25.
While no rain was recorded at the Automatic Weather Station (AWS) installed in Mohali, the station in Panchkula noted 59.5 mm rain. The rain meter at the airport observatory read 37.6 mm.
So far this month, Chandigarh has received 142.7 mm rain, close to the normal figure of 145.2 mm rain for the whole month. Last year, September had witnessed 37.8 mm rain, while in 2022, the figure went up to 215.9 mm.
{{/usCountry}}So far this month, Chandigarh has received 142.7 mm rain, close to the normal figure of 145.2 mm rain for the whole month. Last year, September had witnessed 37.8 mm rain, while in 2022, the figure went up to 215.9 mm.
{{/usCountry}}IMD Chandigarh director Surender Paul said the system was likely to continue till Saturday. “While there are chances of rain on Friday, its intensity is likely to be lower. Cloudy weather will follow over the weekend, while rain in the southern parts of the region will keep the temperature from rising too high.
While the temperature is likely to rise after the rain stops, it’s unlikely to go as high as the start of the week. On Monday, the maximum temperature had shot up to 37.6°C, second highest for the month of September since 1954, as per IMD.
Meanwhile, the minimum temperature also fell from 27.4°C on Wednesday to 24.8°C on Thursday, 1.4 degree above normal.
Waterlogging, traffic chaos return at PGI
The continuous rainfall in the past 24 hours in the city caused waterlogging in the low-lying areas of PGIMER for the second consecutive day. This combined with severe traffic chaos on the campus compounded staff and visitors’ troubles.
The rain caused a reverse backflow of water from the stormwater drainage system, leading to flooding.
A PGIMER spokesperson said certain areas of the campus experienced flooding, which had been addressed and cleared by a dedicated hospital team. With more rain predicted on Friday, the institute is intensifying its preparedness to prevent any further disruptions.
It was decided that a dedicated team comprising engineers and fire and security personnel will operate under the supervision of a doctor from the hospital administration. This team will ensure that patient care remains uninterrupted and safety measures are enforced across the campus.
During peak OPD hours, the traffic was severely hit due to waterlogging, leading to a 500-metre jam from PGI Chowk (Sector 11-12-14-15 chowk) to New OPD.
However, patient services continued uninterrupted. The hospital recorded a total of 9,016 OPD patients, including 2,811 new and 6,205 follow-up visits. Additionally, 128 cases were managed in the Emergency and Trauma OPD. The hospital conducted 12 deliveries, administered 159 day care chemotherapy sessions, and cared for 373 emergency on-bed patients, along with 253 ATC on-bed patients. In addition, 180 surgeries were performed at the institute over the course of the day.