Expect thunderstorm with hail in city today

The Regional Meteorological Office (RMC) Kolkata indicated thunderstorm accompanied with squall and hail with maximum wind speed reaching up to 50-60 km per hour in Kolkata. The situation would be similar in some parts of the districts as well.

There are predictions of heavy downpour in Birbhum, Nadia, Burdwan, Bankura, Purulia, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Howrah, Hooghly, South and North 24 Parganas on Monday throughout the day. Meanwhile, rainfall started in Kolkata from Sunday night with slight drizzle and lightning in different parts of the city. Rainfall has been reported from North Bengal as well. However, RMC Kolkata ruled out the origination of deep depression which generally results in untimely rainfall. "It is pre-monsoon rain. It is quite natural. But the thunderstorm will only continue till Monday night," said Ganesh Kumar Das, Director, RMC Kolkata.

"We predicted rainfall on Sunday and Monday. There is a high chance that rainfall would occur throughout the day," Das added.

"Kolkata, between March 8 and 12, has witnessed good rains. In fact, a few heavy spells were also observed over the capital city of West Bengal. So much so that Kolkata recorded a whopping 130 mm of rainfall during that time. This happens to be the highest during the month of March in the past two decades or so," said Skymetweather.

The weather scientists indicated a drop of temperature as the maximum and minimum will settle below the normal levels. While the maximum temperature on Sunday in Kolkata was 33.6 degrees Celsius, minimum reached 22.9 degrees Celsius.