Brace for scorching days and sweaty nights.
The Met office has warned that the day temperature in Calcutta is likely to reach 37 degrees by the middle of this week.
In some western districts, the Celsius is likely to breach the 40-degree mark.
So far, April has been reasonably bearable, especially compared with the past couple of years.
By the end of last April, the day temperature in Calcutta had breached the 40-degree mark more than once. The city had been under the grip of a heat wave, and the districts had seen more than one.
For the past few days, even on Sunday, the sky was partially cloudy. But the sky is now going to remain clear and the sun unyielding.
The maximum temperature in Alipore was around 35 degrees on Sunday, which is normal for this time of the year. A day ago, it was just over 33 degrees.
“The temperature is already rising. By April 23, it is likely to touch 37 degrees in Alipore. Dum Dum and adjoining areas could be hotter,” said a Met official.
The minimum relative humidity was 61 per cent on Sunday. It meant that even during the driest part of the day, people perspired profusely.
For much of next week, the days will be very hot and dry. The dry westerly winds will be active. But the night temperature will remain around 28 degrees, a couple of notches above normal. “There could be a slight drop in the relative humidity, but at night,
there will be enough moisture in the atmosphere to make
the conditions extremely uncomfortable,” said the Met official.
Around 1.30pm on Sunday, the temperature was around 35 degrees, but the high moisture content pushed the RealFeel to nearly 42 degrees.
Both north and south Bengal received thunderstorms in the past week. In Calcutta, the strongest spell came on Thursday, when some pockets received up to 50mm of rain.
Some parts of the northern fringes got some more rain on Friday. A weekly forecast issued by the Met office on Sunday predicted “dry weather” for all the districts of south Bengal till April 26.
On Sunday, the soaring humidity made life difficult. Even a short outdoor stint was very taxing. The Left Front had called a rally on the Brigade Parade Grounds. As people and cars headed towards the Maidan, men selling lemonade and ice cream did brisk
business.