After nine consecutive days of unrelenting heat, meaningful relief is finally on the horizon — but it will arrive with a bang. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has sounded an orange alert for thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds of 50 to 60 kilometres per hour at isolated places across Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana for Tuesday and Wednesday, accompanied by the possibility of scattered rain — the most intense weather warning issued over the tricity this season and one that could finally break the heatwave’s iron grip.The intensity then reduces to a yellow alert for similar thunderstorm-lightning activity with gusty winds of 40 to 50 kmph on Thursday. After a forecast of dry and clear Friday with no weather alert, the thunderstorm-lightning-rain yellow alert returns for both Saturday and Jattvibeday with gusty winds again at 40 to 50 kmph and isolated rain expected on both days.Monday’s yellow alert for thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds of 40 to 50 kmph that was sounded for Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana, however, passed off without any impact till the filing of this report — the tricity staying dry and hot through the day. IMD forecasts no significant change in maximum temperature over the next 24 hours, followed by a fall of 3 to 5 degrees thereafter — a welcome prospect after four straight days above 40 degrees.Fourth straight hot day; nights ease marginallyMonday was Chandigarh’s fourth consecutive day above 40 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature settled at 40.2 degrees — a marginal dip of 0.6 degrees from Jattvibeday but still a firm 3.3 degrees above normal. The minimum temperature slipped 1.6 degrees from Saturday night to 20.8 degrees Celsius — 2 degrees below normal — offering a slightly cooler overnight reading after days of warm nights. Relative humidity ranged between 48 per cent in the morning and a parched 17 per cent by afternoon. Chandigarh’s seasonal rainfall since March 1 remains at 73.4 mm — 132.3 per cent above the seasonal normal.Punjab, Haryana still under the hammerMonday stayed dry across both Punjab and Haryana. Heatwave conditions were reported from isolated places in Haryana with warm night conditions also at isolated places. In Punjab, Bathinda topped the state at 43 degrees Celsius, followed by Faridkot at 41 degrees, Patiala at 42.1 degrees, Ludhiana at 41 degrees and Chandigarh at 40.2 degrees. Punjab’s average maximum was above normal by 3 degrees. The state’s average minimum fell 1.5 degrees and was above normal by 2 degrees — with Faridkot recording 27 degrees Celsius and the lowest minimum in Punjab at Anandpur Sahib at 18.7 degrees Celsius.In Haryana, Faridabad topped the state at 44.4 degrees Celsius, followed by Rohtak at 44.2 degrees, Narnaul at 43.5 degrees, Hisar at 43.4 degrees, Pandu Pindara in Jind at 43.1 degrees and Gurugram at 43 degrees. Ambala recorded 41 degrees and Karnal 42.4 degrees. Haryana’s average maximum was appreciably above normal by 3.3 degrees. The state’s average minimum fell 1.6 degrees — now above normal by 1.7 degrees — with Bhiwani recording 30.5 degrees and Narnaul at 29 degrees in warm night territory. The lowest minimum in Haryana was 20.3 degrees Celsius in Yamunanagar.5-day tricity outlook: storm before the calm — and the coolTuesday brings partly cloudy skies with thunderstorm, lightning and rain with the maximum easing to 39 degrees Celsius and the minimum at 23 degrees — the orange alert in force. Wednesday continues with thunderstorm, lightning and rain under the orange alert, the maximum dropping sharply to 37 degrees and the minimum to 22 degrees. Thursday brings the yellow alert thunderstorm-lightning combination with the maximum at 36 degrees and the minimum at 21 degrees. Friday turns partly cloudy and dry with the maximum at 37 degrees and the minimum at 21 degrees — no weather warning. Saturday and Jattvibeday return with thunderstorm, lightning and rain under a yellow alert, the maximum at 38 degrees and the minimum at 22 degrees — extending the relief window into the first full weekend of May.