The Met office has issued a heatwave alert for Calcutta.
The city and neighbouring areas are likely to be under the grip of heat-wave conditions from April 19 (Friday) to 21 (Sunday), said a Met official.
The Celsius touched 40 degrees at Calcutta’s doorstep on Wednesday. Salt Lake recorded a day temperature of 40.5 degrees and Dum Dum 40 degrees.
The Met office recorded a maximum temperature of 39.4 degrees Celsius in Alipore, same as the day before. The temperatures recorded by the Alipore Met office
serve as the city’s official readings.
The day temperature in Alipore is likely to touch 40 degrees on Thursday.
A heatwave is declared when the mercury breaches the 40-degree mark and the maximum temperature is at least five notches above normal.
There is no immediate respite from the scorching conditions, according to the Met office.
“There is hardly any moisture incursion in the atmosphere from the Bay of Bengal. There is some moisture near the surface. But virtually nothing beyond 1km from
the surface of the earth. Most of the moist winds from the Bay are headed towards the Northeast,” said a Met official.
“Local thunderstorms are not ruled out in south Bengal. But uniform and widespread thunderstorm activities are unlikely till at least April 22,” he said.
If the day temperature breaches the 40-degree mark in Calcutta (Alipore observatory), it would be the second such year on the trot. The city saw the Celsius breach the 40-degree mark and was under the grip of a heatwave last summer as well.
Before 2023, consistent heatwave conditions had not been witnessed in Calcutta since April 2016, according to the Met records.
The districts of south Bengal are already reeling under a heatwave.
“On Thursday, heatwave conditions are very likely to prevail over East Midnapore, West Midnapore, East Burdwan, West Burdwan, Bankura and Hooghly districts. Hot and humid weather is likely to prevail over the remaining districts of south Bengal,” said a Met bulletin issued on Wednesday.
“From April 19 to 21, heatwave conditions to severe heatwave conditions are very likely to prevail over East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Jhargram, Purulia, Bankura,Birbhum, East Burdwan and West Burdwan districts. Heatwave conditions are very likely to prevail over the remaining districts of south Bengal,” it said.
“While south Bengal is scalded, north Bengal is getting thundershowers. The northeastern states are getting showers because of moisture incursion from the Bay. Some of the clouds are moving towards north Bengal and causing rain,” said the Met official.