Heatwave conditions sweep WB; Kolkata sizzles at 41.5 degree

Kolkata, May 20: Gangetic West Bengal and western districts of the state were caught under heatwave conditions today as the mercury stayed above 40 degrees Celsius in the region with the weatherman saying that no showers were likely in the coming two days.

Sriniketan recorded the maximum temperature in the state at 43.5 degrees while Kolkata sizzled at 41.5 degrees, which was six degrees above normal, MeT office sources said here.

Reports from Bankura said the maximum temperature there was a sizzling 44 degrees, the highest this season. The oppressive heat due to dry winds blowing in from the Chota Nagpur Plateau made conditions unbearable in almost all of south Bengal.

People stayed indoors during the day to escape the heat and roads and market places wore an almost deserted look even in the state capital. Weather conditions are likely to remain unchanged over the next two days and there is little hope of showers given that there has been scant incursion of moisture from Bay of Bengal, added the MeT office sources.

PTI