From the blistering heat of 39.2 degrees Celsius to hail storms, the city witnessed extreme weather conditions within a week. Braving the hot and humid weather for about a month, Kolkata was drenched on Thursday with 56mm of rain from 8.30am till 5.30pm along with hail storms in southern pockets of the city.

The weatherman said that 13-km tall clouds hang over the city, which will cause rains till tomorrow.

Between 1pm and 3pm, the city was lashed by bolstered rain. The real surprise was for the residents of places like Jadavpur and Kudghat, where ice in the form of hail was seen with the rain. According to the data received from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, the highest rainfall was recorded at Ballygunge. This part of the city received 75mm of rainfall followed by Mominpore that was drenched with 68mm of precipitation.

Dhapa in the Eastern fringes of the city also received 67mm of rainfall from 1pm to 3pm. While the downpour continued in several pockets of Kolkata for two hours from, many places, including Palmer Bazar, Dhapa, Maniktala, Topsia and Thanthania received higher rainfall between 1pm to 2pm. The city sky remained overcast for greater parts of the day with drizzles continuing even after 3pm in a few pockets.

According to the Regional Meteorological Centre, the cyclonic circulation over Bangladesh and its neighbourhood now lies over the eastern parts of the country while another trough line runs from east Assam to north Odisha, across Gangetic West Bengal. The dual weather system is responsible for favourable synoptic conditions and strong moisture incursion from Bay of Bengal and would bring thunderstorm, lightning, gusty wind and thunder squall activity in various districts of south Bengal. The weather office has issued an orange warning of thunder squall with speed reaching 50-60 kmph in nine districts of south Bengal for tomorrow. The city of Kolkata has also been given an orange alert of the thunder squall for tomorrow. As per the weather scientists, the rainfall and thunderstorm are likely to be more intense till tomorrow. From Friday, the rainfall is anticipated to get reduced in Kolkata.