Kolkata, April 16 -- The Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore issued a weather alert for South Bengal, forecasting thundershowers and gusty winds across the state until Saturday. There may be a possibility of a hailstorm.
Thudershowers hit various parts of South Bengal districts on Wednesday afternoon giving a temporary relief to the people from the scorching summer heat. According to the weather office, an upper air cyclonic circulation has been stretching from Assam in East to Rajasthan in West via Madhya Pradesh.
The MeT department said these weather systems are creating favourable wind patterns and drawing significant moisture from the Bay of Bengal into the state. As a result, widespread thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and strong gusty surface winds are expected in several districts of Bengal till April 19. A specific warning for thunderstorms has also been issued for all districts of South Bengal, including Kolkata.
The intensity of thunderstorms is expected to be particularly high in the districts of West Medinipur, Jhargram, East Medinipur and Purulia, where gusty winds could reach speeds of 50-60 kmph. Almost all the South Bengal districts will receive thundershowers with a wind speed of around 30-40 kms, particularly in the evening hours.
Scattered rainfall is likely to persist in South Bengal even after Saturday, although its impact is expected to lessen. The weather office does not foresee major temperature fluctuations in the coming days, with a slight dip possible owing to storms and rainfall.
In North Bengal, a heavy rain warning has been issued for Darjeeling on Sunday. The remaining districts are likely to experience light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms. Thunderstorms with gusty winds at speeds of 30-40 kmph are predicted for Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Alipurduar. The wind speed could escalate to 50-60 kmph in the Malda and North and South Dinajpur districts. The weather office anticipates a decrease in both the amount of rainfall and the impact of storms in North Bengal from next Monday.
In Kolkata, the maximum temperature will remain around 34 degree Celsius while the minimum temperature may hover around 27 degree Celsius. The relative humidity ranged between a maximum of 88 per cent and a minimum of 53 per cent. Kolkata on Wednesday registered the lowest temperature of the day at 27.2 degree Celsius while the highest temperature on Tuesday was registered at 34.2.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.