Cloud cover pulls mercury below normal but wait for rain continues
Times of India | 5 April 2025
12 Kolkata: Overcast skies brought much-needed relief to Kolkata on Thursday as temperatures dipped below the seasonal average. The city recorded a maximum temperature of 33.2°C on Friday, which is 1.4°C below normal, thanks to a trough line that triggered widespread cloud formation.
Despite the thick cloud cover, the city did not get rain. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the reason lies in the nature of the clouds. "These were low-level clouds, which generally lack the vertical development necessary to produce rain," said a Met official. However, the department has not ruled out light rainfall in isolated pockets over the next 24 hours.
The current weather pattern shows moist southerly winds at the surface level clashing with dry westerly winds in the upper atmosphere, preventing significant convective activity. But changes are on the horizon.
"The mercury is expected to rise slightly on Saturday and Sunday," said HR Biswas, head of the weather forecast section at the Regional Meteorological Centre, Kolkata. "However, we expect temperatures to dip again from Monday, with likely thunderstorm activity between Monday and Tuesday."
A change in upper-level wind direction could be key. The dominance of south or southwesterly winds above the surface is crucial, as they bring moisture from the Bay of Bengal, increasing the potential for thundercloud formation.