Chandigarh: The city recorded 72.4 mm of rainfall in just two hours on Tuesday, the heaviest two-hour spell of the ongoing monsoon season.The intense downpour far exceeded the city’s drainage capacity. Chandigarh’s stormwater drainage system is designed to handle rainfall of 15 mm per hour in the northern sectors and 20 mm per hour in the southern sectors. The drains eventually discharge into N-Choe, Sukhna Choe and Patiala-ki-Rao.According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the rain began around 4.15 pm and continued till about 6.20 pm. Earlier, only 24 mm rainfall had been recorded between 8.30 am on Monday and 8.30 am on Tuesday.The city had witnessed relatively weak monsoon activity this month, making Tuesday’s heavy spell both sudden and unusual. Weather officials said there was no specific prior forecast indicating rainfall of such intensity.“There was cyclonic circulation and the influence of a western disturbance over the region. During weak monsoon phases, convective cells can sometimes form rapidly and result in very intense rainfall over a short duration,” said Surender Paul, director, Chandigarh Meteorological Centre.He added that cloud heights of 8 to 9 km were recorded during the spell.Meanwhile, the maximum temperature settled at 34.4°C, one degree above normal, while the minimum temperature was 23.6°C, three degrees below normal.The weather department has forecast a partly cloudy sky with chances of rain over the next five days. Day temperatures are likely to hover between 34°C and 35°C, while minimum temperatures are expected to remain between 24°C and 25°C.Weather alert surprises residentsResidents of Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula on Tuesday received a weather alert on their mobile phones warning of heavy rainfall over the next few hours. While a test alert had been issued a few weeks ago, this was the first time many residents received a live weather warning linked to an ongoing weather event.The message, accompanied by a prolonged vibration and alarm tone, stated: “Heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places in Chandigarh, SAS Nagar (Mohali) and Panchkula in the next three hours.”However, by the time many people received the warning, much of the rain had already fallen.“Sometimes, there can be delays in dissemination because of the process involved before the alert is released,” Paul said.The alert caught many residents off guard.“I was startled when my phone suddenly started vibrating and emitting a loud warning sound. At first, I thought it was some kind of cyberattack alert. Only later did I realise it was a weather warning,” said Rohit, a roadside juice seller.“I was busy at work when my phone started vibrating with the emergency alert. The sound immediately reminded me of the alerts sent during Operation Sindoor,” said Mahesh Kumar, a bank employee.
