Showers in Chandigarh this March have broken four-year record

In just a week, rainfall recorded this March has broken four-year record for the month.

Chandigarh has received 33.6mm rain till March 7. This is the highest for the whole month of march since 2016, when 53.1mm was recorded.

The city received most of this rain in the past two days (29mm), which has also led to a plunge in temperature.

With maximum temperature recorded at 15.8°C on Saturday, it was the coldest day in at least the past nine years.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials said more rain is expected during the month. However, for the time being, the mercury is expected to rise on Sunday.

“The excessive rain was caused by western disturbances (WD), which have been more active than usual this year. Their confluence with moisture-laden easterly winds has led to the rain,” said IMD regional director Surender Paul.

Paul said another system of WD is likely to hit the city on Holi (Tuesday). “Weather will start getting cloudy on Holi morning, and showers can be expected in the evening, with short spells continuing till Friday morning,” he said, adding that two to three more systems of WD are expected till the end of this month.

Maximum temperature took a sharp plunge going down from 21.4°C on Friday to 15.8°C on Saturday, 11 notches below normal. According to IMD records, this is the lowest maximum temperature in March since 2012.

Paul said records were readily available back till only 2012 for the Sector 39 observatory. “In 2014, maximum temperature had gone down to 17°C in March. To check before 2012, further records will have to be examined,” he said.

This is also the lowest maximum temperature recorded since January 14 this year, when it had plunged to 13.3°C. A similar deviation from normal was seen during the record-breaking cold wave in December.

Explaining the fall in temperature, Paul said cloud cover remained thick throughout the day, keeping sunlight from warming the city. Short spells of light rain along with gusty winds blowing at speeds up to 50km/hr added to the chill. However, Paul said the system of western disturbances will clear on Sunday and day temperature is likely to rise due to sunny weather.

Minimum temperature also dipped from 15.2°C on Friday to 11.8°C on Saturday. In the next three days, maximum temperature will remain between 23 and 24 degrees while minimum temperature will remain between 10 and 11 degrees.