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Time of India
5 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Discomfort spike as deep depression moves to B'desh
Kolkata: While spells of rain and a gloomy sky through Thursday kept the city cool, the discomfort level rose on Friday with the city remaining mostly dry. The deep depression that brought rain to the city and other districts is now over north Bangladesh and adjoining Meghalaya. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Since the system has moved away from the city, it will not have any more impact on Kolkata and south Bengal. The mercury on Friday remained below the normal mark, but the sun and high humidity made the real feel as high as 11 notches above the actual temperature during the day. The Met office has predicted hotter days ahead due to the diminishing chance of rain. Around the time when the city recorded a maximum temperature of 32 degrees Celsius on Friday, 3.1 notches below the normal mark, the feel-like temperature went up as high as 43 degrees. In addition to the absence of rain, the maximum and minimum relative humidity were also at a high of 97% and 76%, respectively. "Even as the city might get some scattered showers till Saturday, chances of such showers are very less from Sunday onwards, and hence the mercury will now gradually scale up by three to five degrees during the next four to five days," said Meteorologist H R Biswas, head of weather forecast section at the RMC, Kolkata. The Met office had pinned hope on the system to accelerate monsoon arrival in Kolkata and the rest of south Bengal. Met officials said that if the system sustained and hovered close to the city for a longer period, it could have propelled the monsoon's arrival in two to three days. But strong wind shear drifted the cloud columns away as they moved to Bangladesh and north-eastern states. "As of now, there is no possible advancement of the monsoon in south Bengal, at least in the next five to six days," said Biswas. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The May rain count in Kolkata till Friday, which totals 178.1 mm, has exceeded mean monthly count of 133.1 mm. In May 2024, the city got 500.7 mm rainfall, with 152.7 mm showers on a single day during Cyclone Remal. This May, the highest single-day rain count was 37.2 mm.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Monsoon hope in Kolkata after Kerala onset, rain likely next wk
1 2 3 Kolkata: The southwest monsoon set over Kerala on Saturday, eight days ahead of its normal arrival date, bringing hope for the monsoon rain to reach Kolkata. The Met officials, however, said early onset in Kerala did not guarantee its advanced arrival in Kolkata and the rest of Bengal. Even though a 10-day gap between Kerala and south Bengal onset is considered normal, meteorologists said there were various factors to influence the monsoon's arms touching down here. Under normal conditions, the monsoon should keep its date with the city by June 11, with an error margin of plus or minus four days. In the past 15 years, it arrived on time only on four occasions. In 2024, it hit Kolkata on June 21, 22 days after Kerala. The gap between Kerala and south Bengal onset has varied between eight and 25 days in the past one and a half decades. "Early monsoon onset in Kerala doesn't always translate into early onset in Bengal. There are several dynamic factors we have to consider for the advancement of the SW monsoon over our region, like the strength of monsoon flow and other systems over the Bay of Bengal," said meteorologist HR Biswas, head of weather forecast section at RMC Kolkata. RMC officials said monsoon arrived in Kerala with a bang, causing heavy rain, and its flow was likely to be active and strong for at least the next one or two days. But despite starting on a dashing note, the monsoon flow often gets into a sluggish phase, refusing to extend its arms further for days. That is how it took 22 days for it to reach Kolkata last year after its arrival in Kerala. The Met officials are, however, pinning hope on a low-pressure area likely to develop over the west-central and adjoining north Bay of Bengal by Wednesday, as this system can influence the SW monsoon's advancement towards Kolkata. "The position of this likely system, its movement, and intensity will also have a bearing on the monsoon's arrival in south Bengal," added Biswas. While the low-pressure area is expected to trigger widespread pre-monsoon showers from Thursday in Kolkata and other districts, until then, the city can expect light rain. A partly cloudy sky and scattered rain measuring 1.6 mm ensured both the maximum and minimum temperatures remained below the normal mark at 32.6 and 25.8 Celsius, respectively, on Saturday.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Rain drags temp down by 3°C, Met predicts more showers
1 2 Kolkata: A spell of light rain — around 6.6 mm — on Friday evening pulled the mercury down by around three notches. The Met office predicted more such showers in the run-up to the expected pre-monsoon by the middle of the coming week. The temperature is likely to see a significant dip once the showers are brought in by a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal. A partly cloudy sky during the day on Friday, with traces of rain, kept the maximum temperature three notches below normal, though it rose to 32.4°C from Thursday's 31.1°C. However, the minimum temperature, which nosedived to 22.4°C on Thursday due to overnight rain, shot up to 28°C. Met officials said this was due to the absence of rain on Thursday. "Kolkata will continue to get spells of light and scattered thundershowers until we get more uniform and widespread rain once the low-pressure area develops. The mercury will not rise abruptly," said Met scientist H R Biswas, head of the weather forecast section at Regional Meteorological Centre, Kolkata. The low-pressure area is likely to form over the Bay of Bengal by Tuesday and intensify by the next day, triggering the first of the pre-monsoon showers this season. In addition to Kolkata, this system may cause widespread rain in most districts, with some heavy spells in North and South 24 Parganas, and East and West Midnapore. "Conditions are ripe for formation of a low-pressure area. Thereafter, the cloudiness and the rain will drag the mercury down significantly," Biswas said. The IMD has also predicted the southwest monsoon's onset over Kerala by Saturday or Sunday, extending its branch to some parts of northeast India. The Alipore Met office said its arrival over Kolkata and other South Bengal districts can be inferred after the Kerala onset. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Brother's Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Rain drags temperature down by 3°C in Kolkata, Met predicts more showers
KOLKATA: A spell of light rain - around 6.6 mm - on Friday evening pulled the mercury down by around three notches. The Met office predicted more such showers in the run-up to the expected pre-monsoon by the middle of the coming week. The temperature is likely to see a significant dip once the showers are brought in by a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal. A partly cloudy sky during the day on Friday, with traces of rain, kept the maximum temperature three notches below normal, though it rose to 32.4°C from Thursday's 31.1°C. However, the minimum temperature, which nosedived to 22.4°C on Thursday due to overnight rain, shot up to 28°C. Met officials said this was due to the absence of rain on Thursday. "Kolkata will continue to get spells of light and scattered thundershowers until we get more uniform and widespread rain once the low-pressure area develops. The mercury will not rise abruptly," said Met scientist H R Biswas, head of the weather forecast section at Regional Meteorological Centre, Kolkata. The low-pressure area is likely to form over the Bay of Bengal by Tuesday and intensify by the next day, triggering the first of the pre-monsoon showers this season. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo In addition to Kolkata, this system may cause widespread rain in most districts, with some heavy spells in North and South 24 Parganas, and East and West Midnapore. "Conditions are ripe for formation of a low-pressure area. Thereafter, the cloudiness and the rain will drag the mercury down significantly," Biswas said. The IMD has also predicted the southwest monsoon's onset over Kerala by Saturday or Sunday, extending its branch to some parts of northeast India. The Alipore Met office said its arrival over Kolkata and other South Bengal districts can be inferred after the Kerala onset. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Brother's Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
11-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Max temp rises to 39.4°C, highest so far this season
Kolkata: The city continued to be singed by sweltering heat as the maximum temperature crawled up to 39.4°C on Sunday, making it the hottest day so far this summer. On Saturday, the maximum was 39.1°C — the highest recorded till then. The minimum temperature also slid up to 29.7°C on Sunday from 29.1°C a day earlier. There may be no respite from the heat and stifling humidity until at least May 15, said the Met and hot northwesterly winds are blowing into south Bengal, and there is as yet no possibility of a change in wind pattern, without which the mercury's climb cannot be halted, said RMC weather scientist H R Biswas. "The hot winds are flowing in at lower levels, pushing the mercury up. Due to local heating, there could be a few thunderstorms in south Bengal. We expect thunderstorms in North and South 24 Parganas, which might pull the mercury down temporarily. But there won't be any significant temperature drop," Biswas recorded a maximum relative humidity of 88% on Sunday. A heatwave warning has been sounded for West Burdwan, Purulia, West Midnapore, and South 24 Parganas, which may see temperatures cross 40°C. On Monday, one or two places in Bankura and Jhargram may also experience heatwave conditions. A bulletin issued by the RMC on Sunday said most south Bengal districts will remain hot and humid until at least May 15. One or two places in Nadia, Murshidabad, and West Burdwan may receive thunderstorms.A heatwave is declared when the maximum temperature crosses 40°C and is above the normal mark by 5°C. The mercury has been crawling up in Kolkata since Friday, when it was 38.6°C, the highest till then. The mercury climbed up further on Saturday and the city continued to reel under sweltering heat. "Dry and hot winds are blowing into the region. We expect the maximum temperature to hover between 37°C and 40°C until Wednesday. The wind pattern could change after that, and moisture may start flowing in with southwesterly winds. If that happens, the city and its surroundings will receive thunderstorms," said real-feel temperature — a measure of how the heat feels on the skin calculated on the basis of factors like temperature, wind direction, humidity, and sun-ray intensity, among others — climbed to 46°C on Sunday, according to a private weather forecasting service. On Saturday, it was a degree lower. "It will continue to remain humid and uncomfortable. It is not unusual for the mercury to touch 40°C in Kolkata in May. Last year, it touched 43°C and kept hovering around 40°C for days and the city experienced a heatwave. This year, the mercury touched 39°C for the first time on Saturday," said an official. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Mother's Day wishes , messages , and quotes !
