Celsius tops 40, snapshots of Kolkata in the grip of heat wave

The Celsius touched 40 degrees in Kolkata on Thursday as the blistering heat tightened its grip on the city.

Not many people ventured outdoors in the afternoon. Those who did had their faces covered. The Met office warned of heat wave-like conditions on Friday, too.  

Snippets from a city reeling under a heat wave

Cricket calling

Around 12.30pm, Southern Avenue in south Kolkata wore a deserted look. 

Only the pavement in front of Lake Kalibari was crowded because of Neel Sasthi, a ritual that sees women fasting for their children and worshipping Lord Shiva.

But around 250m away, a bunch of children in whites were playing a game of cricket. The match was part of the annual Under-15 tournament, organised by the Cricket Association of Bengal.  

The two teams were High Court and Friends of the Stadium. 

“The tournament starts in April and goes on for a couple of months. This is the schedule every year,” said Atin Acharya, coach of Friends of the Stadium.

The coach, a couple of club representatives and a group of parents were seated under a tree. 

The website of the US-based weather-forecasting agency, AccuWeather, showed the temperature was 40 degrees Celsius and the RealFeel was 43 degrees.

Each team get to bat for 45 overs unless they are bowled out before that. The matches usually start around 10am and continue for six hours. 

On Thursday, the High Court team were bowled out for 176 in 30-odd overs. During the interval, one of the umpires donning a CAB shirt made light of the weather. 

“The mercury touches 40 degrees every summer. Does that mean the boys would sit at home,” he asked. 

The ongoing heat spell has prompted the state health department to issue an advisory asking people to stay hydrated and avoid being under the sun. 

“We parents usually carry ORS and fruits. But we cannot expect them to sit at home. These are important matches and players are trained to be able to withstand the excesses of weather,” said a woman, whose son was on the pitch.

Drink dens

Green coconut sellers did brisk business across the city. Beer was not far behind.

A man with a car near Tollygunge Metro station had four varieties of coconuts, priced at Rs 35, 40, 50 and 60 each. A huge pile of shells around the cart indicated the demand. 

In front of Lake Mall in south Kolkata, another seller had only one variety, one that cost Rs 50. 

“I have been selling around 100 pieces every day. Till the first week of April, the number was barely 40,” said Rakesh Mondal.

More than one bar owner on Park Street said the sale of beer had jumped by 25 to  cent. “Eighty per cent of the customers who are ordering alcohol are ordering beer. We have stocked up accordingly,” said Pratap Daryanani, ownerof Oasis. Summer special cocktails like “Aam Panna Martini” also have many takers, he said.

Sudesh Poddar, president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Eastern India and the owner of Manthan, Songhai and MS Bar, and Lounge, said: “Across the city, seven out of 10 drinkers were opting for beer”.

The current heat spell stands out for its dryness, which is new for Kolkata, which is used to hot and humid summers.

The low level of minimum relative humidity means minimal sweating but leaves a burning sensation. But an uptick in the low moisture level has been that the nights are relatively less taxing.

“Since there is no moisture, there is very little perspiration. Once the sun goes down, the evenings and nights are more bearable. The temperature is still more than usual but the RealFeel is rel-atively lower. That is the feature of dry weather,” said a Met official.