Residents of the Chandigarh Tricity — and the broader Punjab and Haryana region — are headed into an unusual summer. The India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) seasonal outlook for April to June (AMJ) 2026, issued from Meteorological Centre Chandigarh on Wednesday, paints a picture of nights staying stubbornly warm even as daytime peak temperatures remain mostly in check — a combination that could test human comfort and public health in equal measure over the next three months.The key finding from the IMD’s probability forecast is a counterintuitive one: maximum temperatures across most of Punjab and Haryana during April to June are likely to remain below normal — except in eastern Punjab and northern Haryana, where they are expected to hover around normal levels. At the same time, minimum temperatures across both states are likely to stay above normal through the entire hot weather season.For April alone, the picture is slightly different: maximum temperatures are likely to be near normal over Punjab and Haryana, while minimum temperatures will again run above normal. In simple terms, Chandigarh Tricity residents should expect days that do not quite reach the scorching extremes of recent years, but nights that refuse to cool down — a combination that can be more debilitating than a straightforward heatwave.More heatwaves, not fewerDespite below-normal daytime peaks being forecast for most of the season, IMD has flagged that the number of heatwave days over northwest India — including Punjab and Haryana — is likely to be above normal during April to June 2026. For April specifically, heatwave days are expected to remain at normal levels.The department has cautioned that elevated temperatures could pose significant risks to public health, water resources and power demand, particularly for the elderly, children, outdoor workers and those with pre-existing medical conditions. State authorities and district administrations have been advised to ensure cooling shelters are operationally ready, drinking water supply is adequate and health surveillance is strengthened.More rain than usual this AprilOn the rainfall front, IMD’s monthly outlook for April 2026 projects above-normal precipitation — more than 112 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA) — across the country as a whole. The LPA for April, based on data from 1971 to 2020, is 39.2 mm nationally. Above-normal rainfall is specifically forecast over most parts of northwest India, including Punjab and Haryana.The extended-range forecast for Chandigarh corroborates this. Weeks 1 and 2 of March-April (March 27 to April 9) are likely to see light rain with temperatures running normal to above normal. Weeks 3 and 4 (April 10 to 23) are expected to bring light to moderate rain, with both maximum and minimum temperatures likely to dip to normal-to-below-normal levels — offering some respite from the heat.What the past 15 years tell us?Records from the Chandigarh Observatory spanning 2011 to 2025 offer useful context. The highest maximum temperature recorded in April during this period was 42.2°C, in 2022. The highest minimum was 29.5°C, logged in 2017 — a reminder of how punishing warm nights can be. The lowest maximum in the period was 19.0°C (2023), while the coldest April night dropped to 12.3°C in 2021, illustrating the wide swing this transitional month is capable of. The highest monthly rainfall in April on record for Chandigarh stands at 63.1 mm, set in 2015.Among the all-time April extremes at Chandigarh, the highest-ever April maximum is 42.7°C, recorded on April 19, 2010 — a day that also produced the highest-ever April minimum of 30.2°C. The single highest 24-hour April rainfall on record is 49.8 mm, from April 19, 1965.Dry start to the monthWednesday brought a dry and relatively mild opening to April in Chandigarh. The maximum temperature settled at 33.1°C — 1.5°C above normal — while the minimum was 15.8°C, running 3.1°C below normal. Relative humidity ranged between 84 and 32 per cent during the day. Trace rainfall was recorded over the 24-hour observation period ending this morning.Across the region, Punjab’s highest maximum on Wednesday was 32°C at Ludhiana, with the state’s average maximum falling 1.9°C compared to Tuesday but remaining near normal. Haryana’s highest maximum was 33°C at Ambala, with the state average running 2.2°C below normal.What the coming days hold?The IMD forecasts dry weather for Chandigarh on Thursday, with a maximum of 33°C and minimum of 17°C. However, conditions are expected to turn active from Friday onwards. Thunderstorm and lightning warnings under orange alert — with gusty winds of 40 to 50 kmph — have been issued for April 2 and 3, when light rainfall is likely at isolated to few places. April 3 may also see the maximum dip to 29°C, with the minimum at 19°C. The unsettled spell is expected to continue through April 6, with partly cloudy skies and light rain persisting across the Tricity.For the week ahead, dry conditions to prevail over Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh on April 2, followed by scattered activity on April 3 and 4, with thunderstorm and hailstorm warnings at isolated places on both those days.