Kolkata and several parts of West Bengal are expected to witness unsettled weather conditions on March 12, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting light rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms in the city. While brief showers are likely in the early part of the week, dry weather may prevail for a few days before rain activity returns toward the weekend.
According to the weather office, there is unlikely to be any major change in maximum and minimum temperatures across the districts of South Bengal during the next seven days.
Rain, thunder possible in Kolkata today
The IMD said Kolkata may see partly cloudy skies through the day, with chances of thunder and lightning developing in some areas. The city’s maximum temperature is expected to hover around 32C, while the minimum temperature may remain close to 25C.
On Thursday morning, the sky appeared overcast in many parts of the city. Weather officials also indicated the possibility of scattered rainfall across Kolkata along with gusty winds.
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Recorded temperatures showed slight variation from the seasonal average. The minimum temperature stood at 25.3C, which is 2.7C above normal, while the maximum temperature was recorded at 30.8C, around 2.2C below normal.
Weekly forecast for the city
Weather conditions are expected to remain fairly warm and humid over the coming days.
On March 13 and 14, Kolkata is likely to experience partly cloudy skies with maximum and minimum temperatures around 33C and 25C, respectively.
Thunderstorms with rain may return on March 15 and 16, when temperatures are expected to hover around 32C during the day and 24C at night.
By March 17, the sky may again remain partly cloudy, with the possibility of thunder and lightning. Temperatures could settle near 31C for the maximum and 24C for the minimum.
Rain activity across Bengal
Weather conditions have already begun to change across parts of the state. On Tuesday, districts such as Purulia experienced light to moderate rain accompanied by gusty winds. Some isolated areas of north Bengal also recorded light rainfall, although most districts remained largely dry.
The IMD has issued a yellow alert for several districts, warning of possible thunderstorms and lightning in both north and south Bengal.
Districts including Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Malda and North Dinajpur may experience thunderstorms at one or two locations over the next 48 hours. Gusty winds of around 30 to 40 kmph are also possible in parts of south Bengal, such as Howrah, Hooghly and South 24 Parganas.
Advisory for residents and farmers
The weather office has advised residents to remain cautious during thunderstorms, particularly in open areas where lightning strikes can pose a risk. Farmers have also been asked to harvest and store ready potato crops quickly, as sudden rainfall could damage produce if it remains in the fields.
