The day temperature breached the 30-degree mark in Kolkata for the first time in nearly three months on Tuesday, putting a formal stamp on the end of winter.
The Met office recorded a maximum temperature of 31 degrees in Alipore. It was a notch above normal. On November 15 last year, the maximum was 30.2 degrees, according to the Met records.
A Met bulletin issued on Tuesday said a wet spell was imminent.
“Rainfall activity is likely” across Bengal on February 21 and 22 because of an “approaching Western Disturbance and moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal”, the bulletin said.
The rain will come in the form of thunderstorms, the Met office said.
A Met official said there was a decent possibility of rain in Kolkata on February 22 (Thursday).
“A Western Disturbance is over Pakistan and adjoining northwestern India. Under the influence of the system, a cyclonic circulation is taking shape over Punjab and adjoining areas. The circulation will travel from west to east. It will travel across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, north Bengal and Sikkim,” said G.K. Das, director, India Meteorological Department, Kolkata.
“Nadia, Birbhum, Murshidabad and East and West Burdwan are among the districts in south Bengal that will see the maximum impact of the system. But some thunderclouds are expected to reach North-24 Parganas, South-24 Parganas and Kolkata as well,” he said.
The days have been hot in Kolkata for the past few days. The heating may also team up with the moisture to lead to the formation of local thunderclouds over Kolkata and adjoining areas, he said.
On Tuesday, the rise in the Celsius was hard to miss. “I had to switch on the air-conditioner in the car for the first time in months today,” said a Ballygunge resident who drove from his home to Salt Lake.
Any significant thunderstorm activity would lower the temperature for a short while, said Das. “But the next day, the Celsius will shoot up again,” he added.
The city sky will be partly cloudy from Wednesday. The high moisture content in the atmosphere will also push the minimum temperature up, according to the forecast.