Kolkata, June 14: West Bengal, a state eagerly awaiting the arrival of this year’s southwest monsoon season, has endured scorching heatwave conditions for the past few weeks. The much-needed relief from rainfall cannot come soon enough.
Fortunately, parts of Kolkata experienced some evening showers on Monday, although they were not monsoonal in nature and were caused by a cyclonic circulation over Bihar. However, with the monsoon reaching the northern parts of West Bengal on Monday, it is only a matter of time before it engulfs Kolkata and the rest of the state.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has confirmed that the eastern arm of the Northern Limit of the Monsoon (NLM), an imaginary line that tracks the progress of the southwest monsoon, has finally enveloped Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, and parts of northeastern Bihar with its rainy embrace.
From this point, the NLM typically takes about 3-5 days to make its arduous journey from North to South Bengal. If the monsoon progresses at a similar rate this year, then the entirety of West Bengal may witness the arrival of monsoon by the end of this week.
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Historical data suggests that the monsoon typically covers the entire state of West Bengal by June 15. Over the past five years, the arrival of monsoon in Kolkata has ranged between June 11 and 20, with the infamous downpour of 2022 occurring on June 18.
The IMD officially declares the onset of monsoon when around 60% of the weather stations in the state record rainfall of 2.5 mm or more for two consecutive days after May 10. In addition to this rainfall activity, specific technical criteria related to the wind field and outgoing longwave radiation must also be met.
Meanwhile, parts of Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, which have already welcomed the monsoon, are expected to experience heavy to very heavy showers (115.5 mm-224.5 mm) until Saturday, according to the IMD.
Darjeeling, situated at the northernmost tip of West Bengal and known for its intense monsoon rains, is also likely to witness heavy thundershowers over the next five days and possibly beyond. Therefore, if you plan to visit these areas, exercise caution.
On the other hand, Kolkata will not receive any immediate respite from the rain. The IMD forecasts that daytime temperatures in the state capital will hover around an uncomfortable 38-40°C until Sunday.
West Bengal typically receives a significant amount of rainfall during all four monsoon months. However, the delayed progress of the monsoon this year has resulted in large rainfall deficits in the state. So far, West Bengal has only received 14.3 mm of rainfall, which is 78% less than the normal accumulation of 64 mm by this time. Whether the monsoon’s arrival in June will help overcome these deficiencies remains to be seen.
As West Bengal eagerly awaits the monsoon’s arrival in Kolkata and the rest of the state, the hope for much-needed relief from the heat and replenishment of water resources grows stronger. The timely arrival of the monsoon will bring relief to the people, farmers, and the overall ecosystem, ensuring a respite from the scorching temperatures and helping to alleviate the rainfall deficit.
