The mercury dipped marginally in Calcutta on Wednesday but the conditions were still scorching enough to qualify as “severe heat-wave conditions”.
The maximum temperature in Alipore was 42 degrees Celsius, seven notches above normal.
The maximum temperature on Tuesday was 43 degrees Celsius, making it the hottest April day in 70 years. April 25, 1954, was hotter with a maximum temperature of 43.3 degrees Celsius.
The city’s roads have been much less crowded than usual because of the heatwave. Since Wednesday was also a public holiday, they looked more deserted.
Around 11am, the number of vehicles at the five-point intersection at Shyambazar would not go into double digits.
Around 10.30am, a man was walking on APC Road in Shyambazar with an earthen jar to store water.
Around 12.45pm, a civic volunteer — at a traffic kiosk on EM Bypass right at the beginning of the Parama flyover — had all of his face covered up.
A Met official iterated the possibility of thunderstorm activities from Sunday.
“The coastal districts of south Bengal, like South 24-Parganas and East Midnapore, are likely to see thunderstorm activities from May 5 (Sunday). On May 6 and 7, thunderstorms are expected across south Bengal, including Calcutta,” said the official.
“Mainly dry westerly to north westerly wind at lower levels continue to prevail over the region and due to strong solar insolation, heat-wave conditions are very likely to prevail over the districts of West Bengal during May 1 to 5,” said a Met bulletin issued on Wednesday.
The same bulletin predicted “no large change in maximum temperature during the next two days and gradual fall by 2-3ºC in the subsequent three days”.
Districts like Bankura, Birbhum, Jhargram, West Midnapore and East and West Burdwan districts are likely to be under the grip of severe heatwave conditions on Thursday and Friday.
The intensity of the sun is likely to dip after that.
For the remaining districts, a heatwave warning is in place till Saturday.
In north Bengal, there is a heatwave forecast for Malda and North and South Dinajpur for Thursday.
Until the heatwave relents, the bulletin urged caution. It listed the following possible impacts:
- High likelihood of heat-related illness and the possibility of heat stroke in people who are either exposed to the sun for a prolonged period or doing heavy work
- Very high health concern for vulnerable people — infants, elderly, people with chronic diseases
- Heat cramp, heat rash
The bulletin advised:
- Avoid prolonged heat exposure and outside work between 11am and 4pm
- Wear light, light-coloured, loose, cotton clothes. Cover your head
- Drink sufficient water, even if not thirsty, to avoid dehydration
- Recognise the signs of heat stroke — such as weakness, dizziness, headacheand nausea. If you feelunwell, seek medical helpimmediately
