The month of June hit different for Chandigarh this year.
On the back of a sizzling May, the local residents of Chandigarh had braced for an even hotter, heatwave-filled June. However, instead what they witnessed was moderate temperatures, punctuated by spells of rainfall that helped pull down the temperature more than the usual normal for this time of the year.
In fact, a look at the temperature chart for the month of June showed that the city witnessed its lowest maximum temperature this year since 2020, when it had recorded a similar maximum temperature of 40.4 degree Celsius.
As per details, the city also received 133.4 mm of rain through the month of June which was highest since 2020, when it had received 170.3 mm of rainfall.
Chandigarh resident Major General Mulakjit Singh Kandal (retired), 90, who has been living in Sector 35A since 1950, said, “Contrary to the harsh Junes that we usually witness, this year was actually quite pleasant. This weather suits people like me who can not bear much heat. There was a time when the June temperature used to shoot up to 45 degrees courtesy strong heatwaves. This time, the heatwave was missing. Earlier also, Chandigarh had witnessed rainfall during a hot month like what we witnessed this year. The level of humidity was high this time.”
The level of humidity, however, was high and troubled many residents.
A second Chandigarh resident, Tilak Raj Sharma, 74, of Sector 47, who has been living in the city since the 1960s, said, “There was not a trace of any heatwave this year. The humidity was unbearable. It was specially difficult for citizens, especially those dealing with asthmatic and breathing issues. The amount of flowing air this time was a lot less than that in the previous years, making us feel stuffy.”
AK Singh, senior scientist with India Meteorological Department (IMD), Chandigarh, attributed the low maximum temperature to the frequent Western Disturbances, along with cyclone Biporjoy. He said, “This time there were many Western Disturbances, as compared to previous years. The cyclone Biporjoy too had an impact on the weather and the monsoon in the country. The heat was not intense this time around but it was still inconvenient in view of the high humidity. One wave of Western Disturbance is already going on. Another is expected to arrive on July 8.”
City gets rain
Chandigarh received 20.4 mm of rainfall on Wednesday. The maximum temperature was recorded at 31.3 degree Celsius, with the minimum temperature hovering around the 27.3 degree Celsius mark.
Meanwhile, the weather department forecast moderate to light rain along with lightning for the next five days. A fresh Western Disturbance is approaching and is expected to reach Chandigarh on July 8.
