Kolkata, 09 April (H.S.) : As forecast earlier, several parts of West Bengal witnessed steady rainfall from Thursday morning as dark clouds covered the sky. According to the Meteorological Department, the rainy spell is likely to continue till Friday, after which conditions are expected to gradually improve over the weekend.

The weather office has predicted that rainfall activity will reduce from Saturday, with clearer skies and a rise in temperature by around 3–4 degrees Celsius. However, increasing sunshine may also lead to higher humidity and discomfort.

Kolkata witnessed brief sunshine in the morning before the weather turned cloudy, followed by rain and gusty winds. The minimum temperature in the city was recorded at around 21.3°C, nearly 3.9 degrees below normal, while the maximum temperature was about 31°C, around 4.2 degrees below normal.

The Met office has forecast rain across the state till Friday, with scattered thunderstorms likely in all districts of South Bengal. Gusty winds with speeds of 30–40 kmph may affect districts such as East Midnapore and North and South 24 Parganas.

North Bengal is also expected to experience thunderstorms till Friday, with possibilities of hailstorms and lightning. Heavy rainfall warnings have been issued for Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri, while Malda, both Dinajpur districts and Darjeeling may witness Kalbaishakhi (nor’wester) storms with wind speeds reaching 50–70 kmph.

The weather department said a large amount of moisture is entering Gangetic West Bengal from the Bay of Bengal, increasing the likelihood of storms. The sea may remain rough, and fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea for the next 24 hours.

People have also been advised to avoid taking shelter under trees or staying in open spaces during lightning and thunderstorms.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh