Patiala, Feb. 1 -- Punjab is likely to record above-normal minimum and maximum temperatures in February, which could adversely affect standing wheat crops, particularly during the grain-filling stage, according to a monthly advisory issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday.

Punjab, which is one of the country's leading wheat-producing states, depends heavily on favourable winter temperatures for optimal crop development. Any rise in night temperatures could disrupt physiological processes in wheat, while higher daytime temperatures increase evapotranspiration, raising irrigation requirements, the expert warned.

The IMD's weather forecast indicates that both day and night temperatures across most parts of northwest...