Rain lashed the city after a round of powerful gusts of wind on Thursday evening, the third thunderstorm in five days.

A woman who took shelter under a tree in Behala died after the tree got uprooted during Thursday’s squall. She was declared dead at Vidyasagar State General Hospital. A youth was reportedly electrocuted, also in Behala. There were reports of trees being uprooted at Sealdah and Jadavpur.

Around 7pm, the wind speed peaked. Torn covers all but came off rickety hoardings and unbolted window panes slammed shut in homes. The storm was followed by rain.

May began on a rainy note and that is how it is likely to be, according to the Met forecast.

A Thursday bulletin said the wet spell is likely to last till May 4 in south Bengal. In Calcutta, at least another thunderstorm is likely in the next couple of days.

The Met office recorded a maximum temperature of 32.2 degrees in Alipore, more than three degrees below normal. At 23.4 degrees, the minimum was also a couple of notches below normal.

A Met bulletin on Thursday said: “The upper air cyclonic circulation over north Bangladesh and neighbourhood persists. It is now seen between 3.1km and 7.6km above mean sea level. Due to favourable wind patterns and moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal, moderate to severe thunderstorm activity is likely over the districts of West Bengal”.

The cyclonic circulation is the catalyst behind the rain and winds, said Met officials.

In south Bengal, Jhargram, West Midnapore, Purulia, Bankura, East Burdwan, West Burdwan and Nadia districts are likely to be most affected by thunderstorms, the bulletin said.

The remaining districts, including Calcutta, are also tipped to get thundershowers.

The India Meteorological Department has issued a monthly outlook for May. It said: