Hills of Sikkim, Darjeeling, Kalimpong in grip of heatwave

PTI, Kolkata, Jun 2 , 2023 : Several parts of West Bengal are reeling under scorching heat as the Met department on Friday forecast heatwave conditions to prevail in the state’s hill districts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong for the next three to four days.

The weather office said that the Himalayan state of Sikkim is also likely to experience heatwave conditions, which is a departure of at least five degrees Celsius on the higher side from normal.

In Gangtok the maximum temperature on Thursday was 25.2 degrees Celsius, minimum temperature on Friday morning was 16.6 degrees Celsius.

Day and night temperatures at several places in West Bengal were much above average with Kolkata recording a minimum temperature of 30.8 degrees Celsius on Friday morning, which is three notches above normal, the Met said.

The weather office forecast hot and humid weather for at least three to four days with the western districts and sub-Himalayan parts of the states likely to experience heatwave conditions.

Kalimpong recorded the maximum temperature of 28.6 degrees Celsius on Thursday afternoon, while the mercury settled at 25.2 degrees at Darjeeling, a departure of 5.5 degrees Celsius from normal, the Met said.

In the plains, day temperatures on Thursday were above 40 degrees Celsius at Panagarh (40.3), Purulia (41.3), Asansol (40.5) and Jhargram (40), it said.