Maximum temperature in Kolkata touches 40 degree Celsius again, Met says rain unlikely before next Monday

KOLKATA: The heat wave gripping Kolkata may come to an end around next Monday with the Met office spying a chance of rain and thundershowers in different districts, possibly including Kolkata, which is likely to finally pull down the mercury and bring some relief from the blistering weather.

The maximum temperature recorded in the city on Monday remained in the 40-degrees range, with Alipore logging 40°C, Salt Lake 40.5°C and Dum Dum 41.6°C.
With moisture from the Bay of Bengal having started gathering, the possibility of thundershowers in East and West Midnapore, Jhargram and South 24 Pargana seems to be on the horizon between April 22 and 24. Although it is to early to be certain, the Alipore Met office said Kolkata might also receive rainfall, but not before April 24. "The only way to bring down temperatures and end a heat wave, like the prevalent one, is with rainfall. However, the showers that we are anticipating will not be widespread. Only four to five districts may witness one to two thunderstorms between April 22 and 24. As of now, the chances of Kolkata receiving rainfall are slightly lower. If it rains, it is unlikely to occur in the city before April 24," said Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) director G K Das.
The RMC issued a heat wave warning on April 12, following three days of alerts of hot and discomfort weather between April 7 and 11. RMC deputy director-general Sanjib Bandyopadhyay said the continuous dry spell from April 2 to April 17 was quite exceptional. "While maximum temperature exceeding 40°C and heat waves were common during April in Bengal districts, it is usually interrupted with bouts of rainfall," he said.
For the remaining period of the heat wave until April 21, Kolkata's maximum temperature is predicted to pivot around 40°C. The highest maximum temperature recorded in Bengal on Monday was in Bankura at 43.7°C , followed by Sriniketan, Birbhum, at 43.2°C. A 20-year analysis of the city's weather puts the average April mean temperature (maximum) at 30.2 degrees. It rises to 30.7 degrees in May, the hottest month of the year.