Sharp spell of rain, storm bring relief after sizzling day: Mercury nears 40 degrees
Telegraph | 5 June 2025
A sharp spell of rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning, brought relief from the sultry conditions that prevailed for most of Tuesday.
The Celsius almost touched 40 degrees at Calcutta’s doorstep as swathes of south Bengal were scalded by an unrelenting sun.
Around 10.40pm, the Met office issued a thunderstorm alert for city. The rain came calling almost immediately.
Earlier in the day, the Met office recorded a maximum temperature of 39.4 degrees Celsius in Dum Dum.
In Alipore, which serves as the official record keeper for Calcutta, the maximum temperature was 37.7 degrees, still a couple of degrees hotter than usual. Salt Lake sizzled at 39 degrees.
A Met bulletin on Tuesday said: “Due to dry westerly wind in the lower levels, heatwave and hot and humid conditions likely in some districts of south Bengal.”
Districts like South 24-Parganas, which borders Calcutta, and West Midnapore were under the grip of a heatwave on Tuesday. Similar conditions are likely on Wednesday as well. “The spell will be temporarily broken by thunderstorms,” said Met officials.
A heatwave is declared when the mercury breaches the 40-degree mark and the maximum is five notches above normal.
The Met bulletin said: “Avoid prolonged heat exposure and outside work during 11am to 4pm. Recognise the signs of heat cramps such as weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, sweating and seizures.”
A system over east Bihar has triggered localised thunderstorms in south Bengal and will continue doing so on Wednesday as well, said a Met official.
On Tuesday, the minimum relative humidity was less than 50 per cent in Calcutta. The day was just a tad drier but the heat tormented people.
Around 2.30pm, the temperature was 37 degrees but a 48 per cent relative humidity meant the RealFeel was around 42 degrees.
The northern limit of monsoon was still stationed over Balurghat in South Dinajpur, said the Met bulletin.