Wind speeds went up to 70 km per hour past Wednesday midnight as a thunderstorm ripped through the tricity, damaging trees, vehicles and power infrastructure.
After high-velocity winds started around 12.30 am on Thursday, around 7.1 mm rain was also recorded through the night, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
IMD officials said wind speeds went up to 70 km per hour for a few seconds and similar wind speeds will be unlikely in the coming days as clear weather is expected.
In Chandigarh, power was disrupted for up to 12 hours in nearly 15 sectors, leaving residents sleepless through the night. The worst affected were Sectors 7, 8, 15, 21,18, 30, 35,43, 48 and 52, Khuda Alisher and Ram Darbar. In most of these areas, power was wiped out around 1.50 am and could not be restored until 2 pm on Thursday.
The midnight squall also left around 15 trees uprooted, causing roadblocks. A tree fell on the boundary wall of Panjab University near the School of Communication Studies, damaging the wall ahead of the convocation scheduled on Saturday. Another tree also collapsed near the Sector 16 cricket stadium.
“The poor infrastructure coupled with poor maintenance by the electricity department has come to the fore as there was no power in most parts of the city for nearly 12 hours. What is the point in saying that Chandigarh is a smart city?” said Baljinder Singh Bittu, chairman of the Federation of Sector Welfare Associations of Chandigarh (FOSWAC).
{{/usCountry}}“The poor infrastructure coupled with poor maintenance by the electricity department has come to the fore as there was no power in most parts of the city for nearly 12 hours. What is the point in saying that Chandigarh is a smart city?” said Baljinder Singh Bittu, chairman of the Federation of Sector Welfare Associations of Chandigarh (FOSWAC).
{{/usCountry}}In Mohali, trees fell near YPS Chowk and Sector 69, while electricity supply remained erratic all night in various parts of the city. Residents of Chilla village complained that there was no power for 12 hours. The water storage tanks installed at Kisan Vikas Chamber on Airport Road blew away due to the strong winds.
Residents of Panchkula complained of low water pressure, while collapsed trees damaged two cars in Sector 17.
In some areas, there was no power from 5 am to 7.30 am. Meanwhile, officials of the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited said branches of trees fell on supply lines, snapping power supply. The officials claimed that supply was restored to the residential areas, while work was underway in industrial areas.
Dry weather ahead
IMD has forecast dry weather in the coming days, along with a rise in both day and night temperatures. Because of the thunderstorm, the maximum temperature dropped from 40°C on Wednesday to 34.4°C on Thursday, 4.5 degrees below normal. The minimum temperature also dipped from 24.2°C to 20°C, 5.1 degrees below normal.
Over the next three days, the maximum temperature will remain between 38°C and 40°C, and the minimum temperature around 23°C.