Monsoon set to intensify in Punjab, IMD issues rain alert till July 8
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, July 5, 2026:The southwest monsoon has become active across Punjab and Chandigarh, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting rain and thunderstorms in several districts over the next few days. While widespread showers are yet to materialise, weather officials expect monsoon activity to intensify through July 8.
Despite the active monsoon conditions, many parts of Punjab continued to experience hot and humid weather on Sunday due to limited rainfall. However, the state's maximum temperature registered a marginal decline of 0.3 degrees Celsius, bringing it close to the seasonal average.
Ludhiana received heavy rainfall, offering some respite from the heat, while several other districts remained under cloudy skies. However, significant rainfall was yet to be recorded in most parts of the state.
According to the Meteorological Centre, Chandigarh, a rain and thunderstorm alert has been issued for 12 districts on Sunday. The districts likely to be affected include Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr), Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib, Rupnagar, Patiala and SAS Nagar (Mohali).
The weather department has predicted intermittent rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms in parts of Punjab and Chandigarh over the next three days, with conditions expected to remain favourable for widespread monsoon activity until July 8.