Kolkatans are feeling the heat and there is no respite in sight, the Met office said.
The maximum temperature, which has been in the range of 33-34 degrees Celsius for a few days, is likely to go up a few notches in a day or two, according to the Met forecast.
But one does not need the weather bulletin to know which way the Celsius is headed.
Siddhartha Ray and wife Poulami, residents of Baghajatin, had gone to a cafe near Deshapriya Park in south Kolkata for a Sunday brunch.
“My car was parked along a road for a little over an hour. When we came back to the car, the seats felt like a frying pan. Switching on the AC hardly made any difference for at least five minutes,” said Ray, 42.
The footfall at the Victoria Memorial, Alipore zoo and other public attractions has gone down significantly compared with even a month ago.
At Victoria, a man selling summer hats was busy throughout the day. Ditto for vendors selling ice cream and soft drinks.
Hazra to Hatibagan, umbrellas and sunglasses were a common sight, a tour across the city on Sunday suggested.
The only respite from the scorching heat can come in the form of rain or thundershowers.
“There is little chance of rain in Kolkata in the coming days. For any such weather activities, there are three major conditions. Sufficient moisture, a lifting mechanism in the form of a system like a cyclonic circulation or a low-pressure area and a wind shear. None of these is active now. There is no system over the Bay of Bengal,” said G.K. Das, director of India Meteorological Department, Kolkata.
The maximum temperature is expected to reach 35 degrees by Holi, he said.
“Some rain is expected in Purulia and adjoining areas on Wednesday because of the confluence of a western disturbance and easterly winds. But Kolkata is unlikely to have any impact,” Das said.