Punjab Weather Alert: Rain, Thunderstorms warning issued across several districts
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, May 23, 2026: The weather department has issued a combined rain and heatwave alert for several parts of Punjab, warning residents of thunderstorms, strong winds and rising temperatures over the coming days.
According to the latest forecast, districts including Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr and Rupnagar are likely to witness thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds. Light to moderate rainfall has also been predicted in these areas.
At the same time, isolated heatwave conditions are expected in nearly 17 districts across the state, including Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Faridkot, Muktsar, Moga, Bathinda, Ludhiana, Barnala, Mansa, Sangrur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Patiala and Mohali. Officials said the heatwave conditions may continue until May 28.
A slight change in weather on Friday brought temporary relief from the intense heat. Rainfall in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab’s border districts led to a drop of around 3.4 degrees Celsius in average temperatures across the state, bringing them closer to normal levels.
However, Bathinda still recorded a maximum temperature of 44 degrees Celsius, while several parts of the state continued to experience temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius.
Meteorologists said the southwest monsoon is gradually advancing and may reach more areas of southern India, the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal over the next two to three days.
Meanwhile, an active western disturbance over Pakistan is expected to influence weather conditions in northern India. A cyclonic circulation earlier positioned over Haryana has now shifted towards Uttar Pradesh, while the weather system around Punjab has weakened.