September 1, 2025

Hold your umbrellas tight! August 2023 turned out to be a month drenched like never before in Punjab and Haryana. The stormy skies gifted Punjab a whopping 253.7 mm of rainfall, which is 74% more than its usual 146.2 mm for August. This is the heaviest rain the state has seen in 25 long years, says the meteorological department. Imagine that—after so many years of dry spells, the rain gods really poured their hearts out! Punjab’s 18 out of 23 districts got drenched with excess rain, but a few like Patiala and Fatehgarh Sahib were a bit dry. The heavy rain caused rivers Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi to swell aggressively. Floods hit hard especially in Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur, and Amritsar. Take Gurdaspur for example—rainfall stood at a staggering 577.5 mm, which means 181% more than usual! That’s more than double the rain the district normally expects. Pathankot saw even crazier numbers, beaten by heavy rain at 944.2 mm, which is 152% higher than normal. Amritsar wasn’t spared either, with 226.8 mm against the regular 162.4 mm, a 40% jump. Fazilka and Ferozepur faced massive increases too, with 115% and 129% more rain than their norms! Haryana also joined the rainy party with 194.5 mm in August against the usual 147.7 mm, making it a 32% rise. Most districts, 18 out of 22, got excess rain. Even Chandigarh, the joint capital, saw an 8% increase with 308.5 mm compared to 248.8 mm normally. Some Haryana hotspots like Fatehabad experienced a massive 252% spike in rainfall. Others like Gurugram, Hisar, and Faridabad also got 24%, 68%, and 31% more rain, respectively. This heavy rain made many rivers and rivulets swell, creating flooding problems across the region. The meteorological department adds that Punjab and Haryana have seen such heavy rains in August only five times in the last 25 years, making this event truly rare and dramatic. In short, this August was a wild, watery rollercoaster for Punjab and Haryana with nature showing its mighty power. Stay safe, and keep your raincoats ready because the monsoon extravaganza is not done yet!

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Tags: Punjab rainfall, Haryana rain, Floods, Monsoon 2023, Heavy rain, River swelling,