The maximum temperature in Kolkata touched the 40 degrees Celsius mark on Thursday and the Met department forecast heatwave conditions in parts of south Bengal for the next four days.

Panagarh in West Bardhaman district recorded the highest temperature in the state at 42.2 degrees.

Above 40 degrees Celsius temperatures were recorded on Thursday in the south Bengal towns of Burdwan (41.4), Asansol (41), Sriniketan (41), Purulia (40.7) and Barrackpore (40.2), the Met office data said.

East Midnapore and South 24 Parganas districts experienced heatwave conditions, it said.

IMD eastern region head Sanjib Bandopadhyay said that persistent high day and night temperatures in south Bengal, which has been hovering around the 40-degree mark for the past several days, is due to westerly and northwesterly wind from the Chotanagpur plateau region and the absence of moisture in the air.

"Heatwave conditions will prevail at isolated places in almost all districts of south Bengal till April 17" and day and night temperatures are likely to rise further during the next few days, he said.

The senior Met official said that according to the data of the last five years, consistent 40-degree Celsius and above temperatures over several days have not been recorded as this year.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.