Thunderstorms with frequent bolts of lightning are expected in Kolkata and the rest of south Bengal over the weekend, a Met official cautioned on Thursday.
Parts of the city received brief spells of thundershowers on Thursday night. The Met office in Dum Dum recorded a maximum wind speed of 64kmph at 10.52pm on Thursday.
Rain is not ruled out in Kolkata on Friday and Saturday. But the city is likely to get maximum rain on Sunday and Monday, a Met official said.
“Thunderstorms are expected across south Bengal till March 20. While hailstorms are expected in the western districts on March 16 and 17, lightning is expected from March 18 across south Bengal, including Kolkata. People should take necessary precautions,” Sanjib Bandyopadhyay, deputy director-general of IMD, Kolkata, said on Thursday.
Lightning has caused many deaths in Bengal over the past few years.
CESC and Met officials have said one should stay in a safe shelter, such as a pukka building, during thunder-lightning spells. People should stay away from metal structures, water bodies, and electrical poles, stray wires and distribution boxes, and switch off electrical gadgets. One should not take shelter under trees, especially an isolated one, during lightning.
The wet spell is likely to end a prolonged dry spell in Kolkata, which started on October 25.
“The conditions are conducive to thunderstorms across the state. Till Saturday, expect gusts of wind clocking 50kmph. From Saturday, the rain is likely to go up and the windspeed is likely to dip,” said a Met official.