Heatwave gives city a one-day break, may be back from today
Times of India | 3 May 2024
KOLKATA: After a gruelling five-day spell of above-40°C temperatures, the maximum in Kolkata slid three notches to 39.2°C on Thursday. However, the Met office has warned that the heatwave is likely to continue to grip the city till Monday and the temperature may go back above 40°C by Friday.
The dip in the mercury two days after touching 43°C, the city's hottest April day in 70 years, was caused by an increased flow of cooler southerly winds from the Bay of Bengal balancing some of the hot and dry northwesterly winds.
But while the temperature dropped three notches, the real-feel temperature soared to 47°C on Thursday. "Southerly winds carry humidity. So, while the temperature dropped, it increased discomfort. This was reflected in the increase in the real-feel temperature. But northwesterly winds are likely to strengthen by Friday, pushing the temperature close to 40°C," said Regional Meteorological Centre scientist Sourish Bandyopadhyay.
The city's maximum on Thursday mirrored that of the desert cities of Jaisalmer and Bandhar, Kutch, which were close to 39°C and 40°C, respectively, according to private forecaster Accuweather. On the other hand, the maximum real-feel in those cities were 39°C and 40°C respectively due to the dry heat.
According to the Met office's forecast, the heatwave is very likely to end on May 6, with a nor'wester thunderstorm bringing the maximum down by four-five notches. The thunderstorm activity is likely to continue for three days across south Bengal, especially in the coastal districts. "We can expect moderate rainfall brought by moisture incursions from Bay of Bengal," said Bandyopadhyay.
By the time the city gets some rain respite, it will have witnessed a total of 17 days under heatwave conditions. So far, the city has seen 10 days where the maximum temperature crossed 40°C. April 2024 saw nine such days, making it the April with the highest number of above-40°C days this century.
On Friday, the maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to remain close to 40°C and 29°C respectively, while the humidity is likely to keep the real-feel maximum above 45°C.