Kolkata has rained 4 days in a row and has recorded 69mm of rainfall at airport observatory Dumdum. Most of it came on 4th May with 47mm in just about 6 hr and another 15mm yesterday evening. Normal for the month of May being 133mm, Kolkata has sailed past halfway through in the first week itself. The upcoming week looks promising with thunderstorms lined up almost every day which may dump another 150mm of rain in the next 10 days.
The airport and neighborhood were lashed with intermittent showers accompanied with squally winds last evening. The day maximum dipped to 27.8 degrees, 8 degrees below the normal, and one of the lowest in the last 30 days or so. Weather conditions have been on the predicted lines and the forecast is for more 'Kalbaisakhis' over the next week with a short break in between. 07th, 09th, 11th, and 12th May will find intense thunderstorms for a longer duration. Dark clouds hanging around the city accompanied with the lightning, thunderstorm, and squally winds will possibly be a frequent and common feature during evening and night.
As expected, there is nearly a quasi-stationary cyclonic circulation over North Bihar and adjoining parts with an east-west trough extending across sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Assam. Enough moisture is being pumped from the Bay of Bengal and the southwesterly stream all along the Odisha coast. Evening and nights are more susceptible to inclement weather conditions and the combination of strong winds and heavy rains could be problematic. Waterlogging in low-lying areas remains a possibility along with disruption of communication. Lightning strikes continue to be the most hazardous aspect and therefore venturing anywhere in the open is filled with danger. Standing under a tree or a metallic roof has to be discarded and sheltering only under a concrete structure is advisable. Advise adopting precautionary measures to safeguard assets and life.
