Kolkata, May 22 (IANS): Complaining about sweltering heat? Gear up for more discomfort as mercury levels coupled with humidity will shoot up in West Bengal till the arrival of the much-awaited monsoon, the Met office said here on Friday.
People mopping perspiration off their faces with already soaked handkerchiefs, shielding themselves with umbrellas, and stopping for sips of water are a common sight in the state capital as complaints of nausea, dizziness and dehydration cut into their daily activity.
There will be, however, little respite from the current heat condition, thanks to the winds blowing in from the northern plains as well as the moisture-laden winds from the Bay of Bengal, according to Devendra Pradhan, deputy director general of Meteorology (Eastern region), Regional Meteorological Centre, Kolkata.
This excess moisture is causing "major discomfort", as shown by the discomfort index (DI), a numerical estimate of the combined effect of temperature and moisture on humans, he said.
"The discomfort index will increase mainly because of the rise in temperature as well as humidity. The discomfort felt by individuals is exacerbated due to the humidity," Pradhan told IANS.
With a maximum temperature of 38.1 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity of 92 percent, the DI rose to 67 degrees in the city on Thursday.
"The respite will be very little till the monsoon sets in which could be by June 10. Till then, some thundershowers will help in bringing down the temperature for a couple of hours," he said.
On Friday, the maximum temperature was around 39 degrees Celsius with a forecast of "humid and discomfort weather". Pradhan said there was a possibility of thundershowers on Saturday.
Meanwhile, as the rains played truant and temperatures soared, volunteers on the occasion of the martyrdom of the fifth Sikh guru Arjan Dev on Friday, made sure drivers and pedestrians got some relief.
From kiosks set up by the roadside across the eastern metropolis, followers handed out cups of cold water, sherbets and lassi as vehicles and passers-by made a brief stop to quench their thirst in the scorching heat.