Written by Oishiki Bhattacharjee
A major change in West Bengal’s weather is underway just before Holi. Temperatures are rising, shaking off the last lingering chill of winter. The minimum temperature in Kolkata hit 25 degrees Celsius on Monday morning, 4 degrees above the seasonal average, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
Consequently, residents of the “City of Joy” may face sweltering conditions even before the festival of colours starts. People across South Bengal are likely to find themselves drenched in sweat. In North Bengal, temperatures are expected to rise gradually starting after Holi.
The mercury has climbed significantly in the state capital. Over the last four days, Kolkata’s minimum temperature has jumped by nearly 7 degrees Celsius. On Monday morning, the city’s peak temperature reached 32.2 degrees Celsius. Moisture levels in the air are fluctuating between 42 per cent and 92 per cent.
The winter chill has completely vanished. According to an IMD forecast, the minimum temperature in Kolkata will hover between 22 degrees Celsius and 24 degrees Celsius, while the maximum is expected to range between 32°C and 34°C over the next few days.
The minimum temperature in Kolkata may fall by one degree over the next week, but the maximum temperature is predicted to touch 34 degrees Celsius on Monday, Friday, and Saturday. This, however, is not the highest that the state will see, or has seen, as Kalaikunda in South Bengal stands at the threshold of summer, recording the highest temperature in the state as February came to a close. On February 28, the town recorded 36.2 degrees Celsius.
On Monday, Darjeeling not only woke up to dense fog but some districts in the North, like Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar, and Jalpaiguri, also recorded light rainfall. The IMD’s regional centre in Alipore, Kolkata, predicts a similar amount of rainfall for one more day in Darjeeling and Kalimpong before the state reverts to dryness.
As the rest of the state continues to see dry weather conditions as March begins, Darjeeling in North Bengal continues to stay in the clutches of the cold, recording temperatures in single digits, with the minimum in the hill station hovering around 4 degrees Celsius.
The Agro Meteorological Field Unit in Majhian in South Dinajpur district comes in second with 14.4 degrees Celsius, over 10 degrees more than the Queen of the Hills. Suri in South Bengal records the third-lowest temperature in the state at 15.2 degrees Celsius.
Ghatia in South Bengal’s Jhargram district also recorded a small amount of rainfall: 9.4 mm. However, the IMD has not predicted any further showers in the city.
The dry, still weather prevails over almost the entirety of West Bengal, with Purulia and Burdwan being the exceptions. These places in South Bengal continue to see strong, gusty winds.
Oishiki Bhattacharjee is an intern with The Indian Express, Kolkata.