Another day of unrelenting sun had Kolkatans yearning for some showers but all the Met forecast did was warn them of a rise in temperatures.
On Saturday, the Met office recorded a maximum temperature of 40.2 degrees Celsius at Alipore. If anything, the humidity level went up, meaning more sweat. The minimum relative humidity was 39 per cent on Saturday, up from 22 per cent the day before.
Dum Dum sizzled at 42 degrees. Panagarh in West Burdwan was the hottest place in Bengal with a maximum of 45.1 degrees. Midnapore town (West Midnapore) recorded a maximum of 44.5 degrees and Bankura 44.6 degrees.
The day temperature in Kolkata is tipped to go up, said a Met official.
With no immediate respite from the scorching conditions, The Telegraph tries to answer some questions that many Kolkatans have.
Q: I am feeling dizzy even after a brief while out under the sun. But I have to go out for work. What should I do?
A: Carry an umbrella, cover your head and try to find a place to sit down when you feel dizzy, said a doctor. “You feel dizzy when you are dehydrated. Sit down when you feel dizzy because otherwise, you might fall,” said Amitabha Saha, head of critical care at AMRI Hospitals Mukundapur.
Q: Out on the road, I see a stall selling chilled nimbu paani. I badly want a glass. But is it safe?
A: Can be risky, Saha said.
“Drinking water is very important. But drinking chilled water can be risky. Because your surrounding temperature as well as the general body temperature is on the higher side. When you drink chilled water, the upper respiratory tract suddenly gets very cold. This sudden drop in temperature weakens your body’s defence mechanism and makes you vulnerable to infections,” Saha said.
Q: I get tired very easily. Why?
A: Because of the loss of water and salt from the body. “When you sweat, you lose both water and salt. When you are drinking water, you are only replenishing your body with water. So, you should have water mixed with some salt or drink ORS,” Saha said.
Q: Another weekend is here. Is alcohol safe in this weather?
A: The doctor says no. “Alcohol dehydrates you more,” Saha said.
Across the city, soft drinks, fruit juices, lemonades, soda shikanjis and lassis flew off the shelves and stalls.
Dilip Kumar, 36, a fruit juice seller at College Square, said “the drink in most demand this summer is the mango spearmint juice and lemon juice”. His sales have doubled to around 600 glasses a day.
Sunil Arora, owner of Ralli’s in Golpark, popular for juices and sherbets, said: “Our sales have increased by 30 per cent. We have been selling almost 100 glasses per day. Lassi, mango and rose syrup are the top picks.”
An employee at a roll joint in Park Street was on the other end of the spectrum. “Earlier, we would sell 150 chicken rolls every day. That would be the lunch or evening snack for many office-goers. Now, it has come down to 25,” he said.