KOLKATA: Kolkata was left singed on Tuesday with the maximum temperature soaring to 33.8°C and the maximum humidity touching 90%. Though parts of north Bengal received thundershowers under the influence of a cyclonic circulation, south remained dry. But the Met office spied a
thunderstorm in Kolkata in the next 48 hours.
A cyclonic circulation stretched between eastern Bihar and north Bengal. It could move southward, predicted the
Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC). "If it moves downwards, Kolkata and the neighbouring south Bengal districts could be lashed by thunderstorms either on Wednesday or Thursday," said RMC director GK Das.
While humidity soared to 90%, the city's real feel temperature - calculated on the basis humidity, intensity of sun rays, wind speed, cloudiness and precipitation - touched 42°C at 4pm on Tuesday, according to a private weather forecasting service. "Since moisture incursion from the sea is happening on a regular basis, humidity has been high. This has made the conditions uncomfortable. It is due to the high humidity that thundershowers have been precipitated on a regular basis this season," explained Das. Kolkata received five squalls in April and two this month so far, the last one being on May 13.
The mercury had plunged by 10 degrees and humidity dropped below 60% after Sunday's thunderstorm. "But they have spiralled up again. Unless we have another system-triggered storm, the mercury will rise. But we expect another relief by the middle of the week," said Das.
Representative image