KOLKATA: The maximum temperature fell to 36.4°C in Kolkata on Sunday, the lowest the city has seen since the heatwave struck over two weeks ago. An evening breeze set to gather strength over the weekend has now prepared the ground for Kolkata’s first thunderstorm and rain after a month. Although the Met office formally kept Kolkata and its neighbouring districts under a heatwave alert on Sunday as well, officials said that the weather conditions have returned to normal and Monday would likely be the first in 16 days that the Met office would discontinue issuing the alert.
Immediately before the heatwave, on April 11, the maximum temperature was at its lowest — 32.3°C — following minor drizzles. By April 14, the maximum touched 37.9°C with a real-feel of 43°C, kicking off heatwave-like conditions in the city.
The much-awaited thunderstorm on Monday is likely to pull the maximum down to approximately 32°C. “The thunderstorm that breaks the heatwave on Monday is likely to pull the mercury down three-four notches. One can expect about 10 mm-20 mm rainfall accompanied by a nor’wester. The rainfall activity is likely to linger till May 12 with smaller, isolated showers, after reaching its peak on Tuesday,” said Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) scientist Sourish Bandyopadhyay.
While hot and dry northwesterly winds have declined in the region, they have been replaced by cool southerly winds, bringing moisture from the Bay of Bengal. The changing weather patterns are likely to be conducive to rain-inducing systems developing over the week.
The April-May 2024 heatwave broke records across decades. April ended with nine days where the maximum crossed 40°C, the highest number of such days in any April since at least 1998. On April’s last day, the mercury soared to 43°C, the highest April maximum since 1954. At 42°C, May 1 also recorded the highest maximum compared to its corresponding dates in the last 24 years. While the season usually gets about six nor’westers, if Monday’s thunderstorm materializes, it will be the first of the season.
Monday is likely to be partly cloudy with the maximum and minimum temperatures at 36°C and 29°C respectively. The thunderstorm is most likely to occur in the evening. Over the course of the week, the maximum may fall to about 31°C, a 12-notch drop from last week’s highest.
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