Thursday’s yellow alert for Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula proved, like Tuesday’s orange warning before it, more a forecast than a reality — no visible thunderstorm, rain or gusty wind activity was reported across the tricity till the filing of this report.IMD has nonetheless carried the yellow alert forward into Friday (May 15) for Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, with isolated thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds of 40 to 50 kmph remaining possible. What Thursday’s evening bulletin made absolutely clear, however, is what comes after: the heatwave has been advanced by a full day — from Jattvibeday as flagged yesterday to Saturday (May 16) — and it is going to be intense, with Chandigarh’s maximum temperature forecast to hit 43°C by next Tuesday.HEATWAVE ADVANCES TO SATURDAY, RUNS THROUGH AT LEAST NEXT WEDNESDAYIMD’s seven-day warning table on Thursday carries a heatwave at isolated places warning for both Punjab and Haryana and Chandigarh continuously from Saturday (May 16) through at least Wednesday (May 20) — five straight days of heat wave conditions. Saturday (May 16) and beyond will see no rain, no thunderstorm and no gusty winds. The weather turns completely dry from Saturday onwards, removing whatever cooling relief the pre-monsoon activity had been providing. The seven-day forecast marks every day from May 16 through May 20 as dry for both states and Chandigarh.WHAT THE MERCURY WILL DOThe five-day tricity forecast lays out a punishing heat trajectory. Friday (May 15) stays at a manageable 38°C maximum with partly cloudy skies. Saturday (May 16) actually dips slightly to 37°C — still partly cloudy — but that is the last of the relative comfort. Jattvibeday (May 17) sees a massive leap to 42°C under partly cloudy skies as the heatwave bites. Monday (May 18) eases marginally to 39°C under mainly clear skies, before Tuesday (May 19) brings the season’s most intense heat, touching 43°C with a minimum of 27°C — that minimum alone signals how hot the nights will be. The region has not seen temperatures of this order this season.THURSDAY: DAY DIPS MARGINALLY, NIGHT FALLS SHARPLYAfter Wednesday’s record 4°C surge — the single largest day-temperature rise recorded across Punjab and Haryana — Thursday brought limited relief in Chandigarh. The maximum temperature edged down by just 0.5°C to settle at 38.1°C, still one degree above normal. The real change came at night, where Wednesday’s storm activity drove the minimum temperature down sharply by 3.4°C — from 23°C to 19.6°C — taking it to four degrees below the seasonal normal. That combination of a marginally lower day temperature and a much cooler night gave residents a brief but welcome respite from the previous night’s warmth.RAIN TALLY: KARNAL LEADS, AMRITSAR, CHANDIGARH FOLLOWThe 24-hour period ending Thursday morning saw light to moderate rain with thunderstorm, gusty winds and hailstorm at isolated places across both Punjab and Haryana — the first time both states logged rain together in this spell. Karnal was the highest receiver, with the main observatory logging 14.2 mm. Amritsar received 12.8 mm, Gurugram 5.5 mm, Nawanshahr 3.8 mm, Ambala 3.5 mm, Rohtak 3 mm, Bhiwani 2 mm, Charkhi Dadri 2 mm and Gurdaspur 2.4 mm. Ludhiana got 1 mm and Sonepat 2.5 mm. Chandigarh airport received 7 mm while Chandigarh city recorded only a trace.PUNJAB TEMPERATURES NEAR NORMALAcross Punjab, the average maximum temperature rose by 0.2°C and remained near normal. Bathinda posted the highest maximum in Punjab at 42.7°C, followed by Bathinda at 40.5°C and Faridkot at 40°C. Average minimum temperatures in Punjab fell sharply by 3.7°C and are now near normal after having been running well above normal. The lowest minimum in Punjab was 18°C at Nawanshahr. Key city readings: Amritsar 38°C maximum and 20.3°C minimum; Ludhiana 38.4°C and 19.8°C; Patiala 40.4°C and 21.8°C; Mohali 37.4°C and 21.7°C; Pathankot 37.6°C and 20.3°C.HARYANA TEMPERATURES NEAR NORMALIn Haryana, the average maximum temperature rose by 0.6°C and stayed near normal. Sirsa recorded the highest maximum at 44°C for the second consecutive day. Narnaul followed at 42.7°C, Bhiwani 42.5°C, Rohtak 42°C, Hisar 41.7°C and Mahendragarh at 41.3°C — a wide swathe of the state already in or near heatwave territory. Average minimum temperatures fell by 1.4°C and are now 2.4°C below normal — an unusual pattern for mid-May. Karnal recorded the lowest minimum in Haryana at 19.6°C. Ambala logged 38.8°C maximum and 21.9°C minimum; Karnal 36.5°C and 20°C; Rohtak 42°C and 19.8°C.CHANDIGARH ABOVE NORMALAt Chandigarh’s weather observatory on Thursday, the maximum temperature was 38.1°C — one degree above the seasonal normal — while the minimum was 19.6°C, four degrees below normal. Maximum relative humidity was 72 per cent and minimum 43 per cent. Only a trace of rain was recorded during the 24-hour period. Chandigarh’s cumulative seasonal rainfall since March 1 stands at 105 mm, now 136.5 per cent above the seasonal normal — a reflection of the unusually active pre-monsoon season the region has seen.