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Punjab, Haryana, Himachal log excess January rain, contradicting forecasts
01 Feb 2026

Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh have defied weather forecasts by receiving excess rainfall in January.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted below-normal to normal rainfall for Northwest India, but the three states received more precipitation than expected.

Punjab recorded a whopping 69% excess rainfall with 34.3mm against a normal of 20.3mm, while Haryana saw a 35% increase with 19.6mm against an average of 14.5mm.

Himachal Pradesh recorded 90.2mm of rainfall
Weather update

Himachal Pradesh recorded 90.2mm of rainfall, which is 6% above normal for January.

The excess rainfall in Punjab was attributed to two western disturbances between January 21-24 and January 26-28.

Dense fog was also reported across Punjab and Haryana from January 10-18, further adding to the winter chill in these regions.

Chandigarh recorded 69% above normal rainfall
Cold wave

Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, recorded 63.6mm of rainfall in January, which is 69% above normal.

The city also witnessed dense fog with a minimum temperature of 7.7 degrees Celsius.

In Haryana, Karnal was the coldest at 4.5 degrees Celsius, while Hisar recorded a low of 4.9 degrees Celsius amid intense chill conditions across the state.

IMD predicts below-normal rainfall for February
Weather forecast

Looking ahead, the IMD has predicted below-normal rainfall for February over Northwest India. This includes Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh with an expected precipitation of 78% of the long-period average (LPA).

Nationally, February is likely to see below-normal rainfall at 81% of LPA.

Minimum temperatures are also expected to remain above normal across most parts during this month, while maximum temperatures will be above normal too.