Large parts of West Bengal are reeling under intense pre-monsoon heat, with Kolkata and its surrounding areas experiencing hot and humid conditions. The maximum temperature in the city touched 35°C on Monday — slightly below normal — but with relative humidity peaking at 88 per cent, discomfort remained high. Even the night brought little relief, with the minimum temperature rising to 28.7°C, around 2°C above normal.
Across southern Bengal, heatwave-like conditions were felt acutely. Kalaikunda and Panagarh led the charts at 37.5°C and 37.2°C respectively. Digha, despite its coastal location, recorded a high of 37.2°C, while Dum Dum, Midnapore, and Asansol hovered between 35–36°C. Diamond Harbour recorded 37°C, making it even hotter than Kolkata on Monday.
The rising land temperatures are leading to a low-pressure system developing over the Bay of Bengal, which is pulling in warm winds and limiting convection. This meteorological setup, typical of the pre-monsoon period, tends to raise surface temperatures across the Gangetic plains.
Light to moderate thundershowers may provide scattered relief later in the evening on Tuesday, as clouds are expected to build up over the region. However, no rainfall was recorded in the 24 hours leading up to midday today.
In stark contrast to the plains, Darjeeling remained cool, registering 17.2°C — 2°C below normal — a hilly outlier in a state otherwise gripped by heat.