The Met department on Wednesday said heatwave conditions are very likely to continue till May 5 over south Bengal, which has been reeling under a scorching sun with Kalaikunda recording the state's highest temperature at 45.2 degrees Celsius.

The weather office, however, held out a ray of hope for the situation to change from May 6 with the possibility of rains in the coastal districts, which will spread to other parts of Gangetic West Bengal gradually.

Heatwave conditions will continue in many places of south Bengal till May 5, with severe heatwave very likely in Bankura, Birbhum, Jhargram, Paschim Medinipur, Purba and Paschim Bardhaman districts, the Met department said.

It said that there will not be any large change in maximum temperature during the next two days and thereby it will fall gradually in the subsequent three days in the region.

The severe weather conditions in the southern and western districts of West Bengal are being caused by dry westerly winds and strong solar insolation, the Met said.

Kalaikunda in Paschim Medinipur district recorded West Bengal's highest temperature on Wednesday at 45.2 degrees Celsius, while Jhargram followed closely at 44.5 degrees Celsius, the Met said.

In Panagarh and Purulia, the mercury touched the 44.1 degrees mark.

Calcutta recorded 42 degrees Celsius as its highest temperature on the day while neighbouring Salt Lake was a little cooler at 41.1 degrees, the Met said.

Among the other places which recorded above-40-degree Celsius temperatures are Medinipur (43.4), Bankura (43.3), Krishnanagar (42.2), Bardhaman (42), Asansol (42.3), and Sriniketan (41.8), the Met data said.

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