Relief at last: Thundershowers to lower mercury in city after Tuesday

Kolkata: The temperature in various South Bengal districts will start sliding down from Monday, as there is an expected change to happen in the weather system.

The people in South Bengal will get much awaited relief from the scorching summer heat next week, as the Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore predicted thundershower in a couple of days from Tuesday.

It may be mentioned that entire South Bengal has been under an intense heat spell for the past few days, with the mercury touching 42 degree Celsius in the Western districts. A heat wave has also been sweeping through the districts like Purulia, Bankura, West Burdwan, Birbhum, West Midnapore, Jhargram and East Midnapore.

People in all the poll-bound districts felt intense discomfort due to the hot and humid weather. Eight constituencies went to poll on Sunday.

A senior official of the MeT office said: "The Nor'wester is likely to hit various South Bengal districts on Tuesday, bringing moderate to heavy rainfall accompanied with gusty wind. The rain and thundershower are likely to take place in various South Bengal districts, including the city, during the afternoon hours of Tuesday and Wednesday. Rains will push the mercury down by a few notches. People will have some respite from the excessive heat in the later half of the week."

The temperature continued to shoot up to 40-43 degree Celsius in Western districts including Purulia, Bankura, West Midnapore, Jhargram and some parts of West Burdwan and Birbhum. In other South Bengal districts, the highest temperature remained between 36 and 38 degree Celsius in the past few days.

The average maximum temperature in the region remained high due to the inflow of northwesterly wind into the state from the neighbouring states. There has been little moisture incursion into Gangetic Bengal since, preventing the formation of a storm-triggering system.