The city reeled under an unsparing sun on Tuesday, as a storm brewed more than 1,300km away over the Bay of Bengal.
In the districts, there was no sign of the heatwave — the second in less than two months, something that Met officials said has not happened in recent memory — relenting.
The maximum temperature in Alipore, which serves as the official record for Kolkata, was 38.9 degree Celsius, three notches above normal, on Tuesday.
At the city’s doorstep, Salt Lake saw the Celsius reach 39.5 degrees and Barrackpore witnessed a maximum of 39 degrees.
Bankura sizzled at 42.8 and Birbhum at 41.9.
“The system on the Bay of Bengal has turned the sea into a low-pressure zone and is drawing winds from land, which is a high-pressure zone. The hot and dry winds from the north and west, en route to the sea via Bengal, have been contributing to the rise in mercury,” said G.K. Das, director, Indian Meteorological Department, Kolkata.
A tour of Kolkata threw up unmissable snippets of the relentless assault of the heat.
Busy thoroughfares wore a deserted look in the afternoon. Almost every pedestrian was spotted with an umbrella.
On the Maidan, people sought refuge under the shade of big trees.
Traffic personnel at busy intersections were seen splashing their faces with water every now and then. In the office enclaves of BBD Bag, Camac Street and Chowringhee, the lunch crowd at roadside eateries was thin.
Many people were seen flocking to carts selling sugarcane juice and lassi.
While scorching summers are not uncommon in Kolkata, what is different this time is the lack of rain. Usually, sultry mornings give way to an evening of thunderstorms which bring temporary relief from the heat. The two main factors for thunderstorms are heat and humidity.
“This time, the moisture incursion from the Bay in the form of southerly winds is missing. Instead, all the winds are headed towards the Bay of Bengal. The dry phase is likely to continue for a couple of days,” said Das of IMD, Kolkata.
Around 1,300km from the Bengal coast, over the southeast Bay and adjoining South Andaman Sea, a well-marked low-pressure area took shape on Tuesday morning. The system turned into a depression by Tuesday night and is likely to intensify into Cyclone Mocha over the southeast Bay and adjoining east-central Bay by Wednesday, according to a Met bulletin.
“It is likely to move north-northwestwards till May 11. Thereafter, it is likely to recurve gradually and move north-northeastwards towards the Bangladesh-Myanmar coasts,” said the Met bulletin issued on Tuesday morning.
The Met forecast provided no immediate relief from the scorching conditions.
If anything, the Celsius in Kolkata is likely to rise on Wednesday, said Met officials.
“If the cyclone sticks to the projected path, it is likely to come near land between May 12 and 14. The coastal districts of Bengal are likely to get some rain during and after landfall. Some clouds and moisture from the Bay are then likely to enter Bengal,” said Das.
On the sea, Mocha is expected to turn into a very severe cyclonic storm, unleashing winds clocking over 100kmph. There is a ban on fishing activities on the Bay till May 15.