There is an orange alert on May 4 in Punjab for rain and storm. There was rain in the majority of the districts of Punjab on Sunday also. It rained 16 mm in Ropar. At the same time, there has been 5.0 mm of rain in Amritsar, 1.0 mm in Ludhiana, and 4.0 mm in Pathankot, bringing down the average temperature by 3.1°C.
According to the Meteorological Department, the state's record highest temperature was 38.6 degrees Celsius in Bhatinda. With the active Western Disturbance, a major change is being observed in the weather.
It was cloudy in most districts throughout Sunday. Following which the temperature was recorded at 32.9 ° C in Amritsar, 32.3 ° C in Ludhiana, 36.4 ° C in Patiala, 32.2 ° C in Faridkot, 35.7 ° C in Hoshiarpur, 35.6 ° C in Nurmahal (Jalandhar), and 35.4 °C in Mohali.
Weather warning up to May 8
As per the warning released by the India Meteorological Department, Chandigarh, thunderstorms, lightning, and gale-force winds at a speed of 40-60 kilometers per hour can be expected in most districts of Punjab in the coming days.
There is an orange alert of rain and storm on May 5 in the districts bordering Himachal, Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar, Mohali, Sangrur, and Mansa. While a yellow alert has been sounded in all other districts. Meanwhile, a yellow alert of rain and storm has been sounded in most districts up to May 8.
With the wheat procurement season coming to an end, adverse weather continues to pose a serious threat to 55 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of Punjab's unlifted harvested grain, revealing loopholes in storage and procurement systems.
As of Sunday, an estimated 1.34 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of wheat is still unsold in grain markets in the state, while close to 45% of the total procured stock is yet to be lifted, leaving it susceptible to rain damage.
Government figures indicate 122.83 LMT of wheat had reached mandis (grain markets) in Punjab as of May 4. State agencies and private traders had purchased 121.48 LMT of this amount. On Sunday, 1.31 LMT of this reached mandis, while purchases were slightly more at 1.45 LMT.
Government procuring agencies purchased 111.76 LMT of wheat to date, and private traders acquired 9.71 LMT. Over the weekend, government agencies procured over 1.34 LMT, whereas private entities picked up just over 11,000 metric tons.
Though steady lifting has been happening, merely 67.51 LMT of approximately 55% of all purchases have been taken out from mandis to godowns. The percentage of lifting within the stipulated 72 hours post-procurement is currently 63%.
In a single Sunday, 4.59 LMT of grain was lifted
Both unlifted and unsold wheat inventories, totaling more than 55 LMT, are under increased threat of moisture damage from continued unseasonal rains. Farmers and arhtiyas have complained about the sluggish lifting pace, especially in the absence of adequate scientific storage facilities. While weather issues continue, procurement this season has exceeded last year's levels.
Up to May 4, buying had reached 121.48 LMT, marginally above the 119.29 LMT reported by the same date in 2023. Stakeholders are still demanding immediate action to speed up lifting and safeguard grain stocks, with warnings that any delay will lead to massive losses for farmers and the food security system.