Parched Kolkata, districts receive welcome rain; 6 dead in South Bengal

After being parched under the scorching sun for three weeks, with the mercury shooting much above 40 degrees Celsius for days, Kolkata and several districts of South Bengal received a welcome spell of thundershowers that also left six persons dead.

Light to moderate rain, accompanied by gusty wind, brought welcome relief in several districts, bringing down the mercury significantly.

More rain in the offing

The Met Department has said thunderstorms are likely in the region over the next few days. A cyclonic circulation over south Jharkhand and strong moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal will bring thunderstorms with lightning and gusty wind in various districts of West Bengal till May 10.

A Disaster Management Department official said six persons, including a married couple, died in different districts of South Bengal, including in Nadia, Purulia and Purba Bardhaman districts.

Train, flight services disrupted

Suburban train services on the Sealdah-Canning line of Eastern Railway’s Sealdah division were affected for over an hour, as plantain leaves fell on an overhead electric traction wire during a thunderstorm, an official said.

Train services were affected from 8 pm to 9.15 pm, he said.

A few Kolkata-bound flights from other destinations had to be diverted due to bad weather, Airports Authority of India (AAI) sources said. Inclement weather forced three incoming flights to Kolkata — two from Delhi and one from Bagdogra — to be diverted to other airports, they said.

A Kolkata to Ranchi flight had to return to the parking bay as it could not take off amid thunderstorms, the sources said.

Relief after days of torture

The thundershowers in the evening rush hours in Kolkata and neighbouring Salt Lake was not seen as an inconvenience by many returning home from work, happy at the relief from the oppressive heat that has been prevailing for several days.

The maximum temperature in Kolkata reached 43 degrees Celsius on April 30, the highest in 50 years, according to the Met Department.

Many districts in southern West Bengal have been recording temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, with some places sizzling at more than 45 degrees, affecting normal life.

Summer holidays preponed

The severe weather conditions in the southern and western districts of the state, caused by dry westerly winds and strong solar insolation, have led the state government to prepone summer holidays in schools run by it, while many private educational institutions have either switched to online classes or changed their timings.

Purulia recorded Monday’s highest temperature at 42.3 degrees Celsius, while in Kolkata, the mercury touched 35.3, the Met Department said.

(With agency inputs)