Citizens of Kolkata could get relief from the blistering heat from Friday. The Regional Meteorological Centre has issued forecasts of thunderstorms and rainfall for three days starting from Friday.
Before Friday, however, most of the districts of South Bengal are unlikely to get any respite from the sweltering heat. On the contrary, the hot and humid condition could get worse in the next two days in West Burdwan, Bankura and West Midnapore districts where an orange warning for heatwave has been issued by the weather office. On 13 June, the heatwave was expected to expand to a few more districts of south Bengal. As tipped by the weather department officials, West Burdwan, West Midnapore, Purulia, Bankura districts of south Bengal could experience heatwave this Thursday. The other districts as well are anticipated to continue having hot, humid and discomforting weather till Thursday while the day temperatures could even become worse at some places.
According to the weather scientists, the heatwave has been triggered by mainly westerly winds blowing over the region. The dry winds coupled by an East-west trough from northwest Bihar to Nagaland across sub-Himalayan West Bengal and south Assam along with a cyclonic circulation over East Bihar that has merged with the trough line, are causing the hot and humid weather in South Bengal, according to weather officials.
On the other hand, Kolkata that generally experiences monsoons by 10 June is yet to have the drops of relief. The reason, as pointed out by the weather scientists, is because of the slow movement of South-Westerly winds that are mainly responsible for the monsoons. As informed by the RMC, the westerly dry winds are more dominant than the South-Westerly winds in the region. The factors have delayed the onset of monsoons in the region by a few days.
People of south Bengal are, however, expected to get some respite from Friday. The weather scientists are anticipating light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms in Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, North 24-Parganas, South 24-Parganas, East Midnapore and other districts of South Bengal from 14 to 16 June. Before Thursday, the weather scientists are, however, unable to confirm if the rainfall would mark the onset of monsoons in the region.