Monsoon to hit South Bengal dists & city on Thursday: MeT

Kolkata: The city dwellers are going to get relief from the scorching summer heat and discomfort weather in 24 hours as the south west monsoon hits South Bengal on Thursday. For the first time of the season the monsoon is entering Kolkata.

Meanwhile, rains lashed city and its adjoining areas on Tuesday and it was reported that a woman was electrocuted in Howrah. The Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore said that the southwest monsoon has already crossed Balurghat in south Dinajpur and is about to enter Malda. There is a possibility of scattered rainfall in various South Bengal districts on Wednesday.

"South Bengal witnesses a delayed entry of monsoon this year. Southwest monsoon normally enters South Bengal districts on June 11. People in Kolkata will witness monsoon rains from Thursday onwards. The sky may partially remain cloudy in Kolkata on Wednesday with scattered rainfall in some pockets of south Bengal districts," a weather official said. People are also expecting relief from the hot and high humid conditions.

The highest temperature in Kolkata remained at around 35 degree Celsius on Tuesday while the lowest temperature stood at around 29 degree Celsius. Temperature will slightly drop in the city from Thursday. The city may register the highest temperature at 32 degree Celsius on Friday and 31 degree Celsius on Saturday. The temperature is expected to drop in south Bengal; districts as well due to the advent monsoon.

There may be heavy rainfall in five north Bengal districts, the MeT office warned. The districts like Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong, Alipurduar and Coochbehar will receive heavy rainfall in the next two days while there may be scattered rainfall in all the north Bengal districts for next five days. The MeT office had earlier predicted that Bengal districts might receive heavy rainfall from June 14-16. It may be mentioned here that various north Bengal districts have been receiving rainfall for the past many days. The south-west monsoon already entered north Bengal and also north-eastern parts of the country on June 3 and therefore received a heavy rainfall. This is only the fourth occasion since 2010 when the onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala took place before time (June 1).