City, brace for 38°C next week: Met office warns of heatwave in south Bengal starting March 16
Telegraph | 13 March 2025
The Met office has warned of a heatwave in south Bengal from March 16 for two to three days.
“Mainly dry westerly wind is likely to prevail over the region and consequently heat wave conditions are very likely to occur over some districts of south Bengal from March 16,” said a Met bulletin issued on Wednesday.
A heatwave is declared when the mercury breaches the 40-degree Celsius mark and the maximum is five notches above normal.
A Met official said a heatwave in March is unusual but not unprecedented.
The heatwave is expected to prevail for a couple of days, said Met officials.
“Heatwave conditions are likely in West Burdwan, Birbhum, Bankura and West Midnapore. In these places, the maximum temperature is likely to be 40° Celsius or more. The readings will be five or more degrees above normal,” said a Met official.
In the remaining districts of south Bengal, the day temperature is likely to be above normal by three to four notches.
In Calcutta, the day temperature is expected to soar to around 38 degrees. The normal for mid-March is around 34 degrees.
“The day temperature is rising steadily in states like Jharkhand, Bihar and Odisha. The dry winds will reach south Bengal via these states,” said a Met official.
The Met office recorded a maximum temperature of 34.7 degrees Celsius in Alipore on Wednesday.
The afternoon sun was blazing and out came the umbrellas on city roads. When schools got over in the afternoon, guardians were waiting for their wards with umbrellas open.
“The days are likely to get hotter,” a Met official said.
The bulletin said: “Avoid prolonged heat exposure and outside work during 11am to 4pm. Recognize the sign of heat cramps such as weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, sweating and seizures.”
“Elderly people especially with chronic diseases are likely to get impacted if exposed to sun for prolonged periods,” it said.
Last week, just as March was giving summer vibes, the Celsius started sliding in Calcutta.
On March 6, the Met office recorded a maximum temperature of 28.8 degrees Celsius in Alipore. It was almost four notches below normal.
At 20.2 degrees, the minimum on that day was also a notch below normal. On March 7, the minimum temperature slid to just over 18 degrees. The evenings had been breezy and pleasant for a few days at a stretch.
South Bengal was scalded by more than one prolonged heatwave last summer.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said that 2024 was the warmest year on record. It was the first year to pass the 1.5 degrees Celsius global warming limit.