A fresh western disturbance is set to hit the Himalayan region tonight, and its influence will be felt sharply across Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana over the coming week.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds of 40 to 50 km per hour at isolated places for Jattvibeday, which then intensifies to an orange alert for Monday and Tuesday when gusty winds could reach 50 to 60 kmph accompanied by fairly widespread rainfall and hailstorm at isolated places. The yellow alert returns for Wednesday with similar conditions, before isolated rainfall continues through Saturday, keeping any return of heatwave conditions well and truly at bay. IMD forecasts no large change in maximum temperature over the next 24 hours, followed by a fall of 3 to 4 degrees thereafter.WESTERN DISTURBANCE: WHAT TO EXPECTThe approaching disturbance will bring a significant uptick in weather activity across the region. Chandigarh can expect light to moderate rain at a few places on Monday and Tuesday, with thunderstorm and lightning accompanying gusty winds of 40 to 50 kmph on Monday. For Punjab and Haryana, Monday and Tuesday will see light to moderate rain at many places, the most widespread rainfall spell since the pre-monsoon showers of late April, with thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds of 50 to 60 kmph and hailstorm at isolated places on both days. Isolated rainfall is also expected from Jattvibeday through Wednesday and again on Friday and Saturday of the coming week for both states.IMD ADVISORY FOR FARMERS, RESIDENTSIMD has urged residents to avoid going outside during thunderstorm and hailstorm events. Farmers have been specifically advised to suspend all field operations, not shelter under trees, and protect standing crops, especially wheat and other rabi crops, from strong winds and hailstorm wherever possible. Irrigation should be avoided given the expected rainfall activity, and spraying of pesticides or fertilisers should not be carried out during periods of thunderstorm or strong winds.TODAY’S WEATHERSaturday stayed largely dry in Chandigarh with only very light rain at isolated places in Haryana and Punjab through the day. Chandigarh’s maximum temperature edged up 1 degree from Friday to settle at 36.2 degrees Celsius, still 1.3 degrees below normal, while the minimum rose a more noticeable 2.1 degrees to touch 21.9 degrees Celsius, 1.4 degrees below normal. Relative humidity ranged between 64 per cent in the morning and 37 per cent by afternoon. Chandigarh’s seasonal rainfall since March 1 stands at 75.7 mm, 135.1 per cent above the seasonal normal.MOHALI LOGS PUNJAB’S WARMEST NIGHT AGAINMohali’s station recorded the highest minimum temperature in Punjab on Saturday night at 25.4 degrees Celsius, a sharp rise of 4.9 degrees from Friday night, marking the third time this week that Mohali has logged Punjab’s warmest night. The reading underscores how the city’s urban heat profile makes it consistently warmer at night than other Punjab stations even as daytime temperatures normalise.PUNJAB, HARYANA TEMPERATURESIn Punjab, Bathinda topped the state at 40.2 degrees Celsius, near normal, followed by Abohar at 39.5 degrees, Faridkot at 39 degrees and Patiala and Ludhiana at 37.5 and 38 degrees respectively. Chandigarh city recorded 36.2 degrees and Amritsar 37.1 degrees. Punjab’s average maximum was near normal, a far cry from the 4 to 5 degree above-normal departures of the peak heatwave. The lowest minimum in Punjab was 19.9 degrees Celsius at Pathankot.In Haryana, Hisar topped the state at 41.1 degrees Celsius, just 0.4 degrees above normal, followed by Bhiwani at 41 degrees, Rohtak at 40.6 degrees, and Mahendragarh at 40.4 degrees. Haryana’s average maximum was near normal, a remarkable contrast to the extreme readings of April’s final week. The state’s average minimum rose 3.1 degrees from Friday but remained near normal overall. The lowest minimum in Haryana was 20.4 degrees Celsius shared by Rohtak and Sonepat.FIVE-DAY TRICITY FORECAST: STORM, RAIN DOMINATEJattvibeday will be partly cloudy with thunderstorm, lightning and rain, maximum 35 degrees and minimum 24 degrees, under the yellow alert. Monday and Tuesday bring the orange alert with thunderstorm, lightning, rain and possible hail, the maximum at 37 degrees on both days and the minimum at 22 and 23 degrees respectively, with gusty winds up to 50 to 60 kmph. Wednesday continues with thunderstorm, lightning and rain, maximum 35 degrees and minimum 22 degrees, under the yellow alert. Thursday turns mainly clear, the only dry day forecast, with the maximum at 34 degrees and minimum at 22 degrees, marking a significant cooling from the month’s earlier highs.