Storm brings sharp temperature drop in Kolkata; Thunderstorm alert issued across Bengal districts

A powerful overnight storm accompanied by rain and winds reaching up to 72 km/h led to a sharp drop of around 5°C in minimum temperature in Kolkata on Tuesday morning, prompting weather alerts across several districts of the state. The sudden change in weather has brought an unusual chill to the city despite it being mid-March.

According to the Regional Meteorological Centre Alipore, thunderstorms with lightning and rainfall are likely to continue in the city and parts of South Bengal, particularly during the evening hours. The department has attributed the prevailing conditions to moisture-laden winds from the Bay of Bengal influencing the regional weather system.

The impact of Monday night’s storm was evident in the temperature readings, with the minimum temperature dropping to 18.4°C—about 5.2°C below normal—compared to 23.6°C recorded the previous day. The sudden dip has led to noticeably cooler conditions across the city, a rare occurrence for this time of year.

A warning has been issued for thunderstorms, rain, and wind speeds of 30–40 km/h on Tuesday across districts including North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Nadia, Birbhum, and Murshidabad. Weather activity is expected to intensify between March 19 and 21, with some areas likely to experience gusts reaching 50–60 km/h along with light to moderate rainfall.

Meanwhile, North Bengal districts have been placed under a ‘yellow alert’ until March 23, with forecasts of continued thunderstorms and moderate rainfall. The weather department indicated that the current spell is likely to persist until Saturday before gradual improvement, with clearer skies and reduced rainfall expected thereafter.