A spell of rain and gusty winds brought much-needed relief from the heat in Chandigarh on Thursday, with the maximum temperature dropping sharply by 6 degrees Celsius in the last 24 hours. The city recorded a maximum temperature of 36° Celsius, 6°C below Wednesday’s reading, while the minimum temperature settled at 26.3°C, down by 2.4°C.Women caught off guard by showers in Sector 22, Chandigarh, late on Thursday evening. (Keshav Singh/HT)Chandigarh also received 0.3 mm of rainfall till 8.30 am, with the windy weather contributing significantly to the fall in temperature. While the day remained largely sunny after a light morning shower, weather conditions changed again in the evening as clouds gathered and strong winds swept across the city before a brief spell of rain.The IMD continued its orange alert for Chandigarh on Friday, warning of thunderstorms, lightning, hailstorms and squally winds reaching speeds of 60-70 kmph. The alert comes as a fresh western disturbance influences weather conditions over the region. Its impact on temperature will be visible for next 3-4 days.According to the forecast, the maximum temperature is likely to remain below 36°C on Friday before hovering between 36°C and 37°C over the following days and gradually rising thereafter. The minimum temperature is expected to remain in the range of 24–25°C.Mercury to remain below 40°CBefore the western disturbance hit Chandigarh on Thursday, the mercury had been soaring above 40°C in the city for the past couple of days. The highest temperature recorded in June was Tuesday’s 42.1°C, 3.3°C above normal. Last year, June’s maximum temperature was 43.9°C on June 11. In 2024, it was even higher (45.8°C) on June 1.India Meteorological Department’s Chandigarh director Surender Paul said the maximum temperature would be below 40°C in the next four days. After that, the temperature can go up to 40°C or above.Rising power demandChandigarh’s power demand is steadily rising, though it remains below last year’s peak levels. The highest-ever demand of 465 MW was recorded on June 12, 2025. This year, the peak demand has reached 421 MW on June 10, with a consistent upward trend from 272 MW on June 1 to over 400 MW within 10 days, before slightly dipping to 389 MW on June 11 (till now). In comparison, last year saw a sharper spike during the same period, with demand already touching 452 MW by June 11..