E-Paper
Short but intense spell of rain spells chaos in Chandigarh; more likely
While the city received rain after five days, more rain is likely in the coming days as well, said IMD Chandigarh director Surender Paul
: The city recorded 31.4 mm of rainfall in less than two hours on Wednesday causing waterlogging and traffic disruptions.
However, the rain provided some relief from the record day temperatures seen at the start of the week and the India meteorological department (IMD) has predicted more rain in the coming days.
The rain started just before 4 pm and continued till 5.30 pm. 36.2 mm rain was recorded at the IMD Chandigarh observatory in Sector 39 while 19 mm rain was recorded at the airport observatory. As per IMD data, no rain was recorded anywhere else in Punjab and Haryana.
IMD Chandigarh director Surender Paul said, “We were expecting the monsoon system to strengthen this week. Chandigarh recorded the highest temperature in the entire region at the start of the week. Higher temperature leads to higher convection and more rain. Further, the city’s position at the foothills of the Himalayas also leads to more rain.”
While 31.4 mm rain isn’t considered moderate rainfall as per the IMD, Paul explained that because it happened in just under two hours the rate of rain was high. “The rate of rain is calculated by taking the figure of rain per hour of rainfall. A figure like 20mm for an hour is also high, while 20 mm throughout the day won’t lead to waterlogging,” he added.
While the city received rain after five days, more rain is likely in the coming days as well. “We are unlikely to see heavy rain but spells of light to moderate rain will continue till Saturday. The intensity of the system, however, will weaken daily as it shifts southwards towards southern Haryana and New Delhi,” he added.
The rains in the region will keep the temperature in check and it is unlikely to go past 37°C as seen this week in the days after the rain. The maximum temperature can fall from three to four degrees starting from Thursday even if it rains in other parts of the region. On Monday, the maximum temperature had gone up to 37.6°C, the highest for a September day in 37 years.
Due to the rain, the maximum temperature fell from 37.3°C on Tuesday to 36.2°C, still 4.3 degrees above normal. The minimum temperature rose from 27°C on Tuesday to 27.4°C on Wednesday, 4 degrees above normal. This was due to cloudy weather at night which can keep heat from escaping.
In the next three days, the maximum temperature will remain between 33°C and 36°C while minimum temperature will remain between 26°C and 28°C.
Monsoon likely to reach normal figure this year
743.6 mm rain has been recorded in the monsoon season now as per the IMD. This is close to the normal figure of 845.7% and the final monsoon rain figure this time is expected to be close to it. Paul said that IMD had been expecting a normal monsoon in the region. And with a couple of days more of rain, and a fresh spell of rain in the first week of October as per preliminary observations, more rain is on the cards.
Monsoon withdrawal, which normally would have been declared on Wednesday, is still far, as per IMD officials and it is likely to be declared during the first week of October.
Nehru Hospital inundated
Amid heavy rainfall in the city, the backflow from rainwater and stormwater drains caused flooding in low-lying areas in and around Nehru Hospital. Though patient care services remained unaffected, a few high-tech equipment in the departments of radiotherapy and radiodiagnosis have been shut down as a precautionary measure.
Waterlogging, traffic snarls mark the day
Commuters were a harried lot as the rain led to waterlogging and traffic snarls at multiple key locations across the city. Authorities urged drivers to exercise extreme caution and reduce speed while navigating the affected areas.
Waterlogging was reported at several major junctions, including 14/15-24/25 Chowk, Iron Market Chowk, on the Sector 30 side, Matour Chowk, covering sectors 43, 44, and 51, 52 and Sector 36 and 37 light points.
Traffic snarls were reported with many commuters experiencing lengthy delays.
Residents were seen navigating through ankle-deep waters amidst the chaos, with traffic snarls reported at numerous intersections, resulting in lengthy delays for many commuters.
In response to the situation, the sub-divisional officer (SDO) of the public health for the Municipal Corporation Chandigarh (MCC) stated that efforts are underway to clear the affected areas on a priority basis.
City turns into waterlogged mess
Time: Around 1.5 hours
Sector 39: 31.4 mm
Airport: 19 mm
Sector 7 (automatic weather station): 8 mm
--With inputs from Robert Abraham & Naina Mishra
