Kolkata woke up to warm, humid conditions on Tuesday, with the India Meteorological Department forecasting partly cloudy skies and a chance of thunderstorms later in the day. The maximum temperature in the city on Tuesday is likely to hover around 36˚C, while the minimum may stay close to 30˚C.
According to the Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore, Kolkata recorded a maximum temperature of 35.2˚C on Monday, which was near normal. The minimum temperature stood at 29.9˚C, nearly three notches above normal, underlining the persistent discomfort caused by high humidity levels.
The Met office has issued a yellow warning for parts of south Bengal for Tuesday morning and afternoon. Light to moderate thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, rain and gusty winds reaching 30 to 40 kmph are likely in isolated pockets. Residents have been advised to avoid open fields and take shelter during thunderstorm activity.
Rainfall activity remained concentrated in north Bengal over the past 24 hours. Singimari in Cooch Behar recorded 63.4mm of rain while Sankos Tea Estate in Alipurduar received 54.6mm. In south Bengal, Manteswar in Purba Bardhaman logged 34.2mm rainfall.
For Kolkata, weather conditions are expected to remain similar through the week with intermittent cloud cover and evening thunderstorm activity offering brief relief from the heat.
On Wednesday, May 27, the maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to be around 36 ˚C and 30 ˚C, respectively. Thursday and Friday may see daytime temperatures between 35 and 36 ˚C with chances of scattered rain.
The city is expected to remain humid through the weekend. On Saturday, May 30, and Sunday, May 31, temperatures are likely to stay between 35 and 36 ˚C during the day and around 29 to 30 ˚C at night with isolated thunderstorms possible in the evening hours.