MeT rules out possibility of rain in next 3 to 4 days, winter chill likely to take time to set in

Kolkata: The Alipore weather office on Monday ruled out any chances of rainfall in the next three to four days in the state but predicted that it will still take some more time for the north westerly winds to enter the state making way for winter to set in.

"There is a cyclonic condition over the Arabian Sea but our state will have no effect of it. So, we will have dry weather conditions in the next 3 to 4 days with hardly any chance of rainfall," said Sanjib Bandopadhyay, deputy director of India Meteorological Department, Kolkata.

According to a senior official in the department, the maximum temperature in the state will hover around 31 degree Celsius while the minimum temperature will be around 22 degree Celsius.

"This will ensure that there will be not much discomfort due to the weather conditions and if the sky during this four day period is partly cloudy, the day temperature may drop marginally," the official said.

The state has been praying for respite from rain with heavy rain lashing the state for two days just ahead of the Kali Puja on Sunday. Weather conditions improved from Saturday and was good on Sunday.

"The north-westerly winds, which is an important pre-requisite for the onset of winter, may start entering the state after the cyclonic conditions retreat from over the Arabian Sea," the senior official said.

However, with clear weather conditions on Monday and the celebration of Diwali continuing through out the night, environmentalists are apprehensive of air quality index deteriorating on Tuesday morning.