Rains over Kolkata have remained far from showing up during almost the entire February. In fact, apart from February 25, the city has not recorded any showers. The month of March is also following a similar pattern as the month began on a dry and warm note.
Due to persistent dry weather, the temperatures across the city also begin to witness new heights with the maximum temperatures settling at 33.5°C, peaking in the month of May. The city also accounts for minimal rainfall to the tune of 35.2 mm in March.
Yesterday, the maximum temperature of the city rose 5 degrees above the normal and settled at 36.5°C. The nights too are not very pleasant, and the minimum temperatures also shot up 3 degrees above the normal levels settling at 24°C.
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The month of March is the season for thunderstorm and thundershowers for the city of Kolkata, despite this, the month has remained dry and humid. However, some light rain and thundershowers along with squally winds are expected to occur in the next 24 hours with slight possibilities of them showing up during the late evening hours of today as well.
The rising temperature is the main trigger for thunderstorm activities along with increased humidity levels and light winds that too add on to trigger thunderstorms.
As per Skymet Weather, the proximity of the city to the Bay of Bengal is the main source of humidity over the region. Further, closeness to the line of Tropic of Cancer to the city gives the required amount of heat to Kolkata. Both these features are responsible for the development of thunderclouds leading to thunderstorm activity to take place.
Additionally, a cyclonic circulation is also seen over parts of Bihar and adjoining Jharkhand that is resulting in the development of a confluence zone over Gangetic West Bengal. A confluence zone develops when two winds from different direction meet at one place.
In this case, warm and humid winds from the Bay of Bengal and dry and hot winds from the Indo-Gangetic plains are causing the development of a confluence zone over Gangetic West Bengal.
In the wake of this, the situation is favorable for thunderstorms in the next 24 hours that would last for a day. These thunderstorm activities would also give slight relief in terms of rising temperatures.
Image Credit: accuweather
Any information taken from here should be credited to skymetweather.com