Heatwave warning in south Bengal districts as temperature crosses 40°C
Sanjib Bandopadhyay, director of the Regional Meteorological Centre in Kolkata, said the rerecorded temperature till Thursday afternoon was three to five degrees above normal
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday sounded a heatwave warning in most parts of south Bengal districts, including Kolkata metropolitan area, as the temperature crossed 40°C in most areas.
Sanjib Bandopadhyay, director of the Regional Meteorological Centre in Kolkata, said the rerecorded temperature till Thursday afternoon was three to five degrees above normal.
Bandopadhyay said, “A heat wave like situation is prevailing across south Bengal districts. The temperature may rise by one to two degrees more till April 17. At some locations, the temperature may be one of two degrees less than what is required to meet the criteria of a heat wave but that is purely a technical issue.”
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The state education department also announced summer vacation in schools across Bengal from May 2, except those in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts in north Bengal’s hilly areas.
The vacation will continue ‘until further instructions’ are issued, said the order from the secretary of the school education department.
Summer vacations usually start in May-end.
At Salt Lake township on the eastern outskirts of Kolkata, the temperature on Thursday was 40.8°C, he said.
The temperature at Durgapur town in West Burdwan district and Burdwan town in East Burdwan district were 41°C and 41.4°C respectively.
“There is no possibility of rainfall in the next five days. The agriculture sector will be adversely affected. People should follow health adversaries to protect themselves,” said Bandopadhyay.
The worst affected districts on Thursday were Purulia, Jhargram, East and West Burdwan including West Midnapore.
Kolkata and its neighbourhoods recorded 40°C in 2009 and 2014, old records showed.