Mercury set to rise in south bengal, heavy rains likely in north - the statesman

Temperatures across southern districts of West Bengal are expected to rise by 3-5 degrees Celsius in the coming days, the Alipore Meteorological Department said on Saturday, even as parts of

the north of the state brace for heavy rainfall. A dry spell will persist in most of south Bengal, with no immediate signs of monsoon onset, the weather office said. The low-pressure area

that had influenced recent conditions has now moved away, it added. While monsoon rains have arrived early in north Bengal, southern districts including Kolkata remain outside its reach. “It

will take a few more days for the monsoon to advance further south,” the department said in a bulletin. Isolated thunderstorms accompanied by rain and gusty winds are likely on Saturday in

parts of East Burdwan, West Burdwan, Birbhum, and Murshidabad districts. Advertisement No such forecast has been issued for other districts in the region, and from Sunday, dry conditions are

expected to prevail across nearly all of south Bengal. No significant temperature change is expected over the next 24 hours. However, a noticeable rise is likely over the following four

days. In contrast, North Bengal is set to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall over the weekend. An orange alert has been issued for Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, and Cooch

Behar districts on Saturday. These areas may receive 12 to 20 centimetres of rain, accompanied by winds reaching speeds of 40 to 50 kilometres per hour. Advertisement Scattered thunderstorms

with lightning are also forecast for Malda, North Dinajpur, and South Dinajpur, although the intensity of rain will be lighter compared to the northern hill districts. The rain is expected

to continue in Darjeeling and Kalimpong into Sunday, with a high rainfall alert in place. Despite the wet conditions, temperatures are also expected to rise in North Bengal, with an increase

of 3 to 5 degrees Celsius likely over the next four days. In Kolkata, the minimum temperature recorded on Saturday was 28°C, close to normal, while Friday’s maximum was 32°C, about 3.1

degrees below normal. Advertisement