April breaks the script in Chandigarh with 2nd coldest day in 57 years

Chandigarh: April felt more like late winter on Wednesday as the city woke up to steady rain, overcast skies and an unusual chill, recording its second coldest April day in more than five decades.According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the maximum temperature plunged to 24.2°C — a sharp nine degrees below normal — making it the second-lowest April maximum recorded in Chandigarh since data keeping began in 1969. The only colder April day on record was April 8, 2015, when the mercury had dipped to 22°C.Adding to the unseasonal chill was heavy rain. The city received 38.3 mm rainfall in just 24 hours, between 8.30 am on Tuesday and 8.30 am on Wednesday — the highest single-day April rainfall in six years.The spell has pushed rainfall numbers sharply up for the season that began on March 1. So far, Chandigarh has recorded 17.6 mm rain, which is a whopping 233% above the normal rainfall for this period, IMD data shows.Nights, too, have turned colder than usual. The minimum temperature dipped to 13.4°C, around five degrees below the normal night temperature, making it the coolest April night since 2023.While umbrellas and pullovers have made a brief comeback, relief may be short-lived. IMD has predicted no rain for at least the next five days. Thursday is expected to remain partly cloudy, followed by mainly clear skies over the subsequent days.As the clouds clear, temperatures are likely to rise quickly. The maximum temperature is forecast to climb to around 31°C over the next five days, while minimum temperatures are expected to hover around 16°C — signalling a return to more familiar April weather.Top 10 lowest maximum temperatures in April (in °C)April 8, 2015: 22April 8, 2026: 24.2April 1, 1976: 25.4April 4, 2023: 25.5April 17, 2015: 25.6April 2, 2023: 26.3April 28, 2020: 26.4April 1, 2020: 26.6April 3, 2023: 27.4April 7, 2026: 27.6Lowest minimum temperature (in °C):April 8, 2026: 13.4April 2, 2025: 13.6April 3, 2024: 15.5April 5, 2023: 12.7Highest 24-hour rainfall in the last few years (in mm):April 8, 2026: 38.3April 13, 2025: 12.2April 20, 2024: 12.6April 1, 2023: 10.2April 15, 2022: DrizzlingApril 23, 2021: 6.4April 19, 2020: 40.3