Chandigarh, March 8 -- The heat is on - suddenly - and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has taken note. With temperatures climbing sharply in the first week of March itself, the department issued an early heat advisory on Saturday, urging residents to take precautions as the mercury is expected to hit the 35degC mark in the next few days. Winter's swift departure has been noticeable across the city. From 29degC on March 1, the maximum temperature climbed to 32.7degC on March 7, 6.4 degrees above normal, leaving residents feeling the heat much earlier than usual. Just two days ago, the maximum temperature had peaked at 33.1degC on Thursday, nearly 8 degrees above normal. Unlike most years, when March offers a gradual transition from winter to summer with a few balmy weeks, the city appears to have skipped that phase altogether. Many residents who were wearing light winter wear just days ago have already switched to summer clothing as the days have turned distinctly warm. When compared with last year, the early surge is even more striking. On March 7 in 2025, the maximum temperature was only 26.6degC, a cooler start to the month. In fact, in 2025, the city recorded 32.5degC for the first time only on March 31. Despite the sharp rise, the current conditions do not technically qualify as a heatwave. According to IMD guidelines, a heatwave in the plains is declared only when the maximum temperature touches 40degC or more, along with a 4.5-degree departure from normal. However, officials said the advisory was issued because temperatures have remained consistently well above normal for several days and are expected to rise further. Currently, while the day temperature is below 40degC, the departure has still been over 4.5 degrees for the past three days. On Thursday, the maximum temperature was 8 degrees above normal, which is considered a severe heatwave when the mercury is 40degC or up and 6.5 degrees above normal. Explaining the unusual warmth, IMD Chandigarh director Surender Paul said the city had been experiencing a prolonged dry spell since February, which allowed temperatures to rise steadily. "The long dry spell has continued into this month. In the absence of rain, temperatures have been able to increase unabated," he said. A Western Disturbance (WD) is currently active over the region. But it has largely affected only Jammu and Kashmir, with little impact on Chandigarh, except for altering the wind pattern, which is only contributing to the warming trend. Night temperatures have also climbed sharply. The minimum temperature rose from 16.9degC on Friday to 18.5degC on Saturday, 5.6 degrees above normal, not allowing comfort even after dark. Over the next three days, the maximum temperature is expected to remain between 34degC and 35degC, while the minimum temperature may hover between 18degC and 20degC....