Updated at 06:12 PM: Since morning, Kolkata has received 39 mm of rain that has significantly reduced the day temperature in the city. The maximum temperature has dropped and is currently settling 2-3 degrees below than the normal. Hailstorm has also been reported during afternoon hours.
With this, the city of joy that has been missing the winter rains, it has crosses its monthly rainfall record of 30 mm in just one day. The city has also broken the record of rainfall received in 24 hours that till now stood at 24.7 mm in 2007.
First Published on 24th Feb, 12:48 PM: Temperatures in Kolkata that have been staying above normal by 6-7 degrees for past one week have been resulting in highly discomforting weather in the ‘city of joy’. With winter chill gone, Kolkata weather in February has been similar to what it usually is in April and May.
The increasing levels of temperature along with absence of rain in the winter months had kept Kolkata citizens waiting for the weather to get normal. Relief from the summer-like heat and other characteristics of winter this year have been missing from Kolkata.
However, mercury has gradually climbed down in Kolkata and adjoining areas of Odisha in last 24 hours. An east-west trough is extending from Gangetic West Bengal to Madhya Pradesh that has given light rain over parts of Kolkata in last few hours. A few cyclonic circulations are also embedded in the trough which have infused moisture.
Even though Kolkata usually witnesses dry winters, occasional spells of rain during winter months keep the chill alive. While the normal rainfall for the city in December is 9 mm and 12 mm in January, it substantially increases to 30 mm in February. Though this year, exceptionally warm winters altered the weather and expectations of people residing in North and East India. In Kolkata, the rainfall received was dismally low at 1 mm for December, 0.5 mm for January and 3 mm in February.
The reason for this abnormally warm winter was western disturbances that have prevented cold winds from blowing down from the hills of North India to the plains of North India.
Light rain along with thundershowers is likely to continue in Kolkata for another 24-48 hours that will turn the weather pleasant for some more time.
Image Credit: flickr.com
