Calcutta in a Stew, but a Spot of Rain Might Be Brewing
Despite a slight dip in temperature, Calcutta continues to swelter in steamy humidity, with the Met office forecasting thunderstorms and gusty winds this weekend. Brace for a dramatic weather twist, Calcutta-style.
The mercury may have dipped a smidge on Thursday, but anyone braving the streets of Calcutta could tell you — it still felt like walking through a bowl of steaming shorshe ilish. The Celsius read 35.4, down from Wednesday’s balmy 38.2, but with humidity punching in at a whopping 61 per cent, it was less “cool change” and more “steam room with auto-rickshaws.”
In other words, it’s the sort of weather that has your shirt sticking to your back before you’ve even locked the front door. Or as my auntie would say, “It’s so muggy, I could wring out the air and make tea with it.”
But don’t start sobbing into your sweaty handkerchief just yet. The Met office, bless their barometers, has issued a glimmer of hope — a silver lining in the cumulonimbus, if you will. A wet spell is brewing, and it might just barge into Bengal like a long-lost cousin at a wedding — loud, sudden, and with thunder in tow.
According to the official Met missive, thunderstorms are likely to crash the weekend party starting Saturday. Calcutta, meanwhile, has been pencilled in for a splash or two on Sunday and Monday. Could be drizzle, could be a full-blown cloud tantrum — either way, stock up on your Sunday mutton and pull out the umbrella from your store.
The boffins at Alipore reckon that from Saturday, the winds will do a little do-si-do. Out go the dry, westerly winds and in come the southerlies from the Bay of Bengal, dragging buckets of moisture behind them. Think of it as a grand atmospheric potluck — the sun’s turned up the stove, the humidity’s brought the water, and the clouds are getting ready to cook up a storm.
Between April 26 and 28, we can expect rain with a bit of oomph — gusty winds, thunder, lightning, the whole theatrical shebang. Districts like Jhargram, Midnapore (East and West), Birbhum, and even the 24 Parganas are all on the guest list for this meteorological mayhem.
Now, before you dash out in flip-flops thinking the heatwave’s finally been shown the door, a word of caution: it’s not over till the thunder sings. Western districts like Purulia and West Midnapore are still sizzling away, with the Celsius playing hopscotch well above the 40-degree mark.
But here’s the science bit, courtesy of the Regional Meteorological Centre’s top weather chap, H.R. Biswas: On Thursday, despite all the heat and humidity, there was no rain because the moisture was being clingy and hugging the ground. No tall clouds, no stormy outbursts — just a whole lot of hot, wet nothing.
That’s all set to change once the southern winds roll in. The land’s already been cooking, so when you add sea-sent moisture to the mix, it’s the perfect recipe for those dramatic, towering clouds we all secretly love (as long as we’re indoors, dry, and not standing near any wobbly tin roofs).
So, dear reader, brace yourself. Get those umbrellas ready, but don’t put away the talcum powder just yet. Calcutta’s weather, much like its politics, is always up for a twist in the third act.
And if you’re heading out this weekend, best bring both sunglasses and a raincoat. Because in this city, you never know whether you’ll be sunburnt, soaked, or both before you’ve finished your cha.
Stay hydrated. Stay hopeful. And remember — if all else fails, a gondhoraj lebur ghol and a nap can fix just about anything.
Picture sources : The Telegraph
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