Kolkata: Several South Bengal districts on Thursday received the much-awaited rainfall that brought some relief to the people from the scorching summer heat and high humidity. Alipore MeT officials said any spell of light to moderate rain will now usher in monsoon.
The weather office had earlier predicted that Kolkata and other South Bengal districts would witness thunderstorms with the advent of pre-monsoon rains on Tuesday onwards, but the city received the first spell of pre-monsoon rains on Thursday. A thunderstorm occurred in several parts of North 24-Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Kolkata on Thursday afternoon. The Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore on Tuesday said that light to moderate rainfall may occur in Kolkata and other South Bengal districts in the next couple of days with a strong breeze measuring 30-40 kmph may be sweeping through the region.The Met office has predicted that southwest monsoon will hit the city and other parts of South Bengal any time between Friday and Saturday. This year, the monsoon arrived in North Bengal on May 31, ahead of its usual onset date of June 5.
For South Bengal, the usual arrival date is June 10. According to satellite images, monsoon clouds were approaching land and the condition was now favourable for the monsoon to arrive in South Bengal as well. The city and other South Bengal districts remained mostly cloudy on Thursday.
Some pockets of South Bengal, particularly the city and adjoining areas, received some drizzle on Wednesday as well.
The wind pattern on the lower level is southwest-southerly, another influencing factor for monsoon to arrive.
A change in the wind pattern that is expected to propel the monsoon into South Bengal was slower than expected. Southerly winds are important for the arrival of the monsoon. The districts in the western parts of Bengal continued to undergo hot and humid conditions.