Showers drenched the whole of Kolkata on Wednesday, bringing temporary relief from the assault of heat and humidity.
Rain is likely in the next few days, too, according to the Met forecast. But brace for hot and sweaty conditions when it does not rain.
The better part of the first half of Wednesday was bright and sunny.
The maximum temperature was around 35 degrees Celsius, two notches above normal. But the high humidity quotient ensured that it felt like 45 degrees.
Traces of clouds had appeared in the sky in the morning. They became dominant in the afternoon.
The rain started in north Kolkata and the northern fringes around 2pm. Gradually, the southern parts of the city, too, got rain.
Some of the stronger spells were reported from Salt Lake and New Town.
The Karunamoyee bus stand had ankle-deep water following the showers. It drained out soon enough.
By 4pm, the entire city was drenched.
Some parts got a fresh spell in the evening as well.
The Met office recorded around 16mm of rain in Alipore till 8.30pm on Wednesday.
The city got localised showers on Monday and Tuesday, as the Celsius kept rising. The uniform showers on Wednesday were attributed to a change in the position of a cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal.
“The cyclonic circulation over west-central Bay of Bengal adjoining north Andhra Pradesh coast now lies over north and adjoining central Bay of Bengal,” said a Met report on Wednesday.
“The north Bay of Bengal is closer to the Kolkata coast,” said a Met official.
If the system intensifies into a low-pressure area and stays over the north, northeast or even northwest Bay, the volume of rain in Kolkata will go up. “As of now, it does not look like the system is going to gain steam,” said the official.
“Even if it continues to be a circulation, some rain is likely in Kolkata.”
But when it does not rain, the conditions in Kolkata are likely to be sultry, according to the Met forecast.
Even on Tuesday, the first half was extremely uncomfortable. Guardians were seen fanning children in pool cars. People queued before hawkers selling green coconuts.
“This is the typical monsoon weather. The high humidity, coupled with heat, will make the conditions uncomfortable,” said a Met official.