Brace for the twin assault of heat and humidity, the Met office has warned.
South Bengal saw multiple thunderstorms over the past week. Calcutta got a powerful Nor’wester on the night of May 4 after the election results, and at least two more days of rain.
The rainy spell kept the temperatures below normal for much of the week. Now, the days are likely to get hotter, approaching the temperatures typical of the second week of May, one of the hottest months of the year.
“Localised showers cannot be ruled out because of the combined impact of heat and humidity. However, even if they occur, they are likely to be brief. The maximum temperature in Calcutta is expected to cross 35 degrees by the middle of this week, and rising humidity will add to the discomfort,” said a Met official at Alipore Meteorological Department.
On Sunday, the maximum temperature was 32.4 degrees Celsius, still more than three degrees below normal. But high humidity made the conditions uncomfortable.
The Met office had predicted thunderstorms in and around Calcutta on Saturday.
“The thunderclouds dissipated before they could reach Calcutta. Districts north of the city, including Hooghly and several parts of south Bengal, experienced thunderstorms. Nadia, Murshidabad, East Burdwan and West Burdwan were among the affected districts,” the Met official said.
North Bengal is likely to witness increased rainfall through much of the coming week, the Met official said.
“An upper-air cyclonic circulation over sub-Himalayan Bengal and adjoining areas persisted on Sunday, though it was gradually weakening. A trough extending from southeast Rajasthan to Gangetic Bengal across Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand remains active. The trough will facilitate moisture incursion into the hills,” he said.
Heavy rain (7-11cm) is likely in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts between Tuesday and Thursday, according to the forecast.