An orange alert has been issued for parts of Kolkata and North 24 Parganas as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned of moderate thunderstorms, lightning, heavy rain and gusty winds over the next few hours on Monday afternoon.
According to the Regional Meteorological Centre, Kolkata, thunderstorms accompanied by rain and wind speeds of 40 to 50 kmph are likely to affect parts of Kolkata and North 24 Parganas till early evening on June 29.
A similar warning has also been issued for parts of Howrah and West Burdwan. Residents have been advised to remain indoors during thunderstorms and avoid open fields, isolated trees and water bodies because of the possibility of lightning strikes.
The latest special weather bulletin says favourable wind patterns and a strong moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal will keep thunderstorm activity active over West Bengal in the coming days.
For Kolkata, the forecast suggests an unsettled week with intermittent rain and thunderstorms almost every day. Light to moderate rain is likely on Monday, June 29, and Tuesday, June 30, with thunderstorms and gusty winds reaching 30 to 40 kmph.
Similar conditions are expected on Wednesday, July 1, Thursday, July 2 and Friday, July 3. Rain activity is likely to intensify over the weekend, with widespread showers on Saturday, July 4, and the possibility of heavy rain in Kolkata on Sunday, July 5.
Daytime temperatures are expected to remain below normal because of persistent cloud cover and rain. The maximum temperature is likely to hover between 31 and 32 °C through the week, while the minimum is expected to stay between 26 and 27 °C.