Rain and thunderstorms swept across several parts of Bengal on Thursday, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting more wet and stormy weather on the day of the BJP government’s swearing-in ceremony.
In a special bulletin issued on May 7, the Regional Meteorological Centre in Kolkata said favourable wind patterns and strong moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal are likely to sustain thunderstorm activity across districts of West Bengal over the next few days.
According to the IMD’s local forecast for Kolkata, the city is expected to witness a generally cloudy sky with thunderstorms and light to moderate rain over the next 24 hours. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to hover around 31 degrees Celsius and 24 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Kolkata recorded a maximum temperature of 33.7˚C, around 2 degrees below normal, while the minimum temperature settled at 25˚C. Humidity levels remained high, with the maximum relative humidity touching 95 per cent.
The city received 13.1mm rainfall between 11.30am on May 6 and 11.30am on May 7, while 12.3mm rainfall was recorded since 8.30am on Wednesday.
The IMD said light to moderate rain and thundershowers are likely in many south Bengal districts on May 8, including Purulia, Bankura, Hooghly and Burdwan, accompanied by lightning and gusty winds reaching 40-50 kmph in some areas. Similar conditions are expected across north Bengal districts as well.
On May 9, thunderstorms with gusty winds reaching up to 60 kmph are likely in parts of south Bengal, particularly in Bankura, Purulia and West Burdwan districts.