Kolkatans to sweat it out for 48 hours

Kolkata: The Alipore weather office made it clear on Friday that the city, along with the districts in South Bengal, will continue to suffer because of the scorching heat for the next 48 hours.

The met office also sounded heat wave alert at eight districts in the western part of the state, namely Purulia, Bankura, Birbhum, West Midnapore, Jhargram, West Burdwan, East Burdwan and Murshidabad.

"There will be no respite from the sultry weather in the next 48 hours. Temperature in Kolkata will be hovering around 37 to 38 degree Celsius, but the humidity level will ensure profuse perspiration and discomfort. Meanwhile, temperature in the western districts will range between 40 and 42 degrees," said Sanjib Bandyopadhyay, deputy director general, meteorology, Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Kolkata.

The Alipore met office recorded a maximum temperature of 36.7 degrees in the city on Friday, which is two degrees above normal. However, excessive moisture content in the air made the elements feel like 49 degrees, weather scientists said.

The maximum temperature was recorded from Bankura, where temperature shot up to 42.8 degrees. Dum Dum recorded a temperature of 39.2 degree Celsius.

A senior official of the weather office said moist Southwesterly winds from the Bay of Bengal are entering the city but not reaching the western districts. These places are being swept by dry Northwesterly winds.

"So, temperature is higher in the western districts and warning of heat wave has been sounded. There is no warning of heat wave in Kolkata but the citizens should be ready to sweat it out due to the soaring humidity," the official added.

He said that the maximum temperature has remained more or less the same over the past few days in the city, but the minimum relative humidity is rising as a result of a cyclonic circulation over Bangladesh, resulting in moist Southwesterly winds from the Bay of Bengal to blow through Kolkata.

The weather office, however, predicted rain in five districts of North Bengal immediately after the next 48 hours, particularly in Cooch Behar and Alipurduar districts.

"A low-pressure belt is expected to form over the Bay of Bengal around Monday. This may push abundant moisture into the land, making conditions favourable for the formation of rain clouds. So, there may be chances of rain in the city and South Bengal districts after Monday," the official said.