Storm Week Ahead: IMD Orange Alert for Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh
Chandigarh and Punjab Weather today: From near-darkness at 8 AM in Mohali to IMD’s orange alert for Monday-Tuesday, North India faces its most widespread pre-monsoon rain spell. Full forecast, safety advisories, and the Kullu tragedy that shows why alerts matter.
North Desk Bureau
Chandigarh, May 3
UPDATED on May 4: Severe thunderstorms were witnessed in Punjab and Chandigarh between the night on Sunday and Monday. leaving behind a trail of detruction.
Earlier, A “red” alert for severe thunderstorms and hailstorms had been issued for late Sunday evening, with some parts of Delhi also under an “orange” alert. Residents were advised to be prepared for potentially-disruptive weather conditions.
A “red” alert stands for “take action”, indicating severe weather conditions.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), severe thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, hailstorms, dust storms and moderate rainfall, along with gusty winds reaching speeds of up to 80 kmph, are very likely over the city, with some areas expected to witness moderate thunderstorm activity
Earlier, at around 7.30 AM on Sunday, the sky above Mohali turned the colour of dusk. Street lights might as well have been on. Residents looked out of windows to find an early-morning darkness that had no business being there — rain lashing, winds picking up, and visibility dropping sharply. Within the next couple of hours, the storm had left a trail of destruction as uprooted trees could be spotted on the roads in Chandigarh and Mohali.
In Himachal’s Kullu district, the storms had already turned fatal: four schoolteachers were killed on Saturday when a massive pine tree crashed onto their vehicle in a storm near Ani.
Sunday’s dramatic morning was not a one-off. It was the opening act of what the India Meteorological Department is forecasting as the most active pre-monsoon weather week the region has seen this season.
[VIDEO: Mohali around 8 AM, Sunday]
Yellow to Orange: What IMD Is Saying
Chandigarh, Punjab Weather today: the IMD has issued a yellow alert for Sunday — covering thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds of 40 to 50 kmph at isolated places across the region. That steps up sharply on Monday and Tuesday, when an orange alert takes effect. During those two days, winds could reach 50 to 60 kmph, accompanied by fairly widespread rainfall and hailstorm at isolated places.
The orange alert is the one that matters most. For Punjab and Haryana, Monday and Tuesday are expected to bring light to moderate rain at many places — the most widespread rainfall spell since the pre-monsoon showers of late April. Wednesday sees a return to yellow alert conditions, before isolated rainfall continues through Saturday, keeping any prospect of a returning heatwave firmly at bay.
For Chandigarh specifically, light to moderate rain is expected at a few places on Monday and Tuesday, with thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds of 40 to 50 kmph on Monday.
[EMBED PHOTO: Mohali 8 AM darkness]
Saturday’s Numbers
Chandigarh, Punjab weather: Saturday itself stayed largely dry, with only very light rain at isolated places in Punjab and Haryana through the day. Chandigarh’s maximum temperature edged up one degree from Friday to settle at 36.2 degrees Celsius — still 1.3 degrees below normal. The minimum rose a more noticeable 2.1 degrees to touch 21.9 degrees Celsius, 1.4 degrees below normal. Relative humidity ranged between 64 per cent in the morning and 37 per cent by afternoon.
Chandigarh’s cumulative seasonal rainfall since March 1 now stands at 75.7 mm — a significant 135 per cent above the seasonal normal, reflecting the unusually active pre-monsoon the region has seen.
IMD forecasts no large change in maximum temperatures over the next 24 hours, followed by a fall of three to four degrees as the approaching weather system intensifies.
Punjab Weather: What This Means for Farmers
On Chandigarh and Punjab, IMD has issued specific advisories for farming communities ahead of the intensifying weather. All field operations should be suspended during thunderstorm and hailstorm events. Farmers are advised not to shelter under trees during storms — a warning made tragically relevant by Saturday’s Kullu incident. Standing crops, particularly wheat and other rabi crops, should be protected from strong winds and hail where possible. Irrigation should be paused given the expected rainfall, and the spraying of pesticides or fertilisers must not be carried out during thunderstorm or strong wind conditions.
When Storms Kill: The Kullu Tragedy
Saturday’s storms left a grim reminder of what pre-monsoon weather can do in the hills. In the Ani subdivision of Kullu district in Himachal Pradesh, a massive pine tree fell on a moving vehicle during a severe storm, killing four schoolteachers on the spot and leaving three others with serious injuries.
Police said the vehicle — a Bolero — was carrying six female teachers and a driver, all returning from school when the incident occurred. The Ani subdivision had been experiencing intense pre-monsoon winds for the past week. Four of the seven occupants did not survive.
As orange alerts go into effect for the plains and hills alike this week, the Kullu deaths are a reminder that the IMD’s safety advisories — stay indoors, keep away from trees, avoid outdoor movement during peak storm periods — are not precautionary language. They reflect real, documented risk.
Residents Advised
The IMD has urged all residents across Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh to avoid going outdoors during thunderstorm and hailstorm events, particularly on Monday and Tuesday when activity is expected to be most intense.
