Heatwave-like conditions across the north Bengal districts continued on Saturday, with weather experts calling it a “rare situation”.

In the past 24 hours, the maximum temperature reached 39°C in Cooch Behar, followed by Jalpaiguri (38°C), Malda (37.9°C), Balurghat (37.5°C) and Siliguri (37.2°C).

“It is a rare situation as the hill town of Kalimpong recorded a maximum temperature of 29°C. It was quite warm in the hills as Darjeeling recorded a temperature of 24.6°C,” said a weather expert.

However, weather experts hinted at rain in the region from Monday.

In Sikkim capital Gangtok, the maximum temperature touched 31°C in the past 24 hours, which is unusual, said meteorologists.

The sudden change in weather conditions has also led to a fall in average weekly rainfall across north Bengal.

“There is a dip in weekly rainfall ranging from 69 per cent to 100 per cent in the districts of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Malda and both Dinajpurs. Usually, it rains heavily in the region during this period. It should have rained from 80mm to 200mm in these districts this time,” said an expert.

Because of the high day temperature, most schools across the region witnessed a lower attendance.

Marketplaces and commercial areas wore a deserted look.

In Jalpaiguri, senior forest officials said a key reason for such a marked change in the weather was the consistent felling of trees that has led to depletion of green cover across north Bengal.

“Infrastructural projects and urbanisation led to thousands of trees being felled in the past 50 years in north Bengal. The present weather condition is a result of it. We definitely have to plant more trees,” said Rajendra Jakhar, the chief conservator of forests (north Bengal).

The rise in temperature has prompted the authorities of the North Bengal State Transport Corporation to supply water and glucose to bus drivers and conductors, said Partha Pratim Roy, the NBSTC chairman.

Toy train derails

The loco of a toy train of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway on its way to Darjeeling from New Jalpaiguri got derailed between Tindhari and Gayabari stations on Saturday afternoon. Railway personnel brought back the wheels of the locomotive to the tracks in an hour. No injury has been reported.