Rain, cloud cover fail to give relief from heat, humidity
Times of India | 3 August 2026
Kolkata: Despite a cloudy sky and moderate rain in some parts, Kolkata experienced a humid Sunday when the maximum temperature climbed up to 34°C, nearly two degrees above normal.
While the cloud cover has been predicted to persist on Monday, the mercury may not slide, said the Met office. Light to moderate rain is likely across most districts of south Bengal, while a thunderstorm with lightning has been predicted at one or two places in east and west Burdwan, Purulia, Bankura, Murshidabad, Birbhum and Nadia on Monday.
Light to moderate rain with thundershowers has been predicted at many places across north Bengal over the next three days. The thinning of the cloud cover and moisture incursion from Bay of Bengal have pushed the mercury up, said weathermen. “While showers have lessened in Kolkata, maximum relative humidity was high at 93% on Sunday. The mercury may drop marginally on Monday but conditions will not change significantly,” said HR Biswas, deputy director general of meteorology.
North Bengal may be lashed by heavy rain and thunderstorms over the next three days. Heavy to very heavy rain has been predicted at one or two places in Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling on Monday, while heavy rain was likely at Cooch Behar, Kalimpong and north Dinajpur. A thunderstorm with lightning and a wind speed of 30-40 km/hr is likely at Malda, north and south Dinajpur, said a bulletin issued by Regional Meteorological Centre.
A trough now runs from west Rajasthan to sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim across a cyclonic circulation over central Rajasthan and northern parts of Madhya Pradesh and east Uttar Pradesh.
An upper air circulation now lies over northwest Bangladesh and sub-Himalayan Bengal. “In view of the favourable wind pattern at lower levels and strong moisture incursion from Bay of Bengal, heavy to very heavy rain (7-20 cm) is likely at one or two places over the districts of north Bengal from Aug 2-5,” said the bulletin.