Mercury soars to 35°C in Chandigarh

Residents felt the heat on Tuesday as the city’s maximum temperature soared to 35°C, against 33.8°C on Monday.

The rise in temperature has been sudden, as a week back, the mercury was 29°C.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the temperature will continue to climb further and can even go up to 39°C by the end of the week.

At 35°C, the maximum temperature was 0.5 degree above normal and the highest it has gone so far this season. However, it is still far from the highest maximum temperature recorded in April last year, which was 42.2°C on April 30.

Speaking about this, IMD Chandigarh director Manmohan Singh said, “The rise in temperature has been sudden, as earlier Western Disturbances had been affecting the region and the rain had been keeping the temperature low. Now, the sky is clear, causing the temperature to rise. We expect the daily temperature to increase for the next few days.”

Some respite can be expected over the weekend, when a fresh Western Disturbance is likely to approach the region. But, Singh said, wile thunder and lightning were possible around Sunday, rain was unlikely.

The minimum temperature also went up from 15.9°C on Monday to 17°C on Tuesday, still 1.3 degree below normal. Over the next three days, the maximum temperature may rise to anywhere between 36°C and 38°C, while the minimum temperature will remain between 19°C and 20°C.