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Chandigarh: Mercury soars to 42°C for the first time this summer
A fresh Western Disturbance is on the horizon around June 14, which could bring along some welcome cool, but until then, temperatures will continue to climb
City residents are starting to feel the June sizzle, with the maximum temperature going up to a scorching 42.1°C on Sunday, the highest this summer.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), no respite is likely this week. A fresh Western Disturbance is on the horizon around June 14, which could bring along some welcome cool, but until then, temperatures will continue to climb.
On Sunday, the maximum temperature rose from 39.9°C on Saturday to 42.1°C, 3.3 degrees above normal. This is the first time this year that the maximum temperature has crossed 42°C, as May, usually the hottest month of the year, remained rain-drenched.
High humidity, which went up to 60%, made matters worse, leaving residents sweating.
However, 42.1°C is still lesser than 45.7°C on June 16 last year, the highest in the month since IMD started keeping records for Chandigarh around 1953.
IMD Chandigarh director Surender Paul said, “Temperatures were under control so far this summer due to frequent spells of rain. Now, with clear skies and sunny weather, mercury was expected to cross 40°C by Sunday. It will most likely stay above 40°C for most of the week.”
Even as the temperature crossed 42°C, heatwave conditions have not been declared in the city. A heatwave is declared when the maximum temperature is at least 40°C and goes over 4.5 degrees above normal.
While IMD has issued warnings for heatwave in western parts of Haryana and Punjab, there is no warning for Chandigarh. In fact, the city has not had any heatwave days this year, till now.
Meanwhile, the minimum temperature also rose from 27.1°C on Saturday to 28.9°C on Sunday, 2.5 degrees above normal. Over the next three days, the maximum temperature will remain around 42°C and the minimum temperature around 28°C
Monsoon hits lull, but still likely to reach city by June end
Making big strides in May, the monsoon system covered parts of southern India ahead of schedule. However, the system’s southern limit hasn’t moved since May 26 and even the eastern edge hasn’t shifted since May 29.
While earlier it was expected that monsoon will reach the city ahead of schedule, Paul said it was unlikely to happen now and it may arrive by its normal date of June 27.
“Currently, conditions are such that the monsoon system has stalled for a bit. However, these delays aren’t usually longer than 10 days and we expect that the system will become active again. We can expect the monsoon to reach the city by the end of the month,” he shared.
