KOLKATA: For the first time since the exit of winter last week, the minimum and maximum temperatures in Kolkata crossed the 20°C and 30°C marks, respectively, on Wednesday. The Met office has predicted summer-like conditions to set in, but the cityis likely to get at least two thundershowers between Sunday evening and Tuesday. On Wednesday, Kolkata recorded a maximum temperature of 32.6°C while the minimum jumped four degrees to touch 21.9°C.A high-pressure zone above Bay of Bengal could trigger thundershowers, said RMC director G K Das. “It is set to generate moisture that will float into the land, which is now getting heated. The high pressure will also generate easterly winds that will carry the moisture,” he explained.Some easterly winds are already flowing into the region and led to clouds on Wednesday morning. But day temperature will now rise gradually. It could touch 33°C on Thursday and climb up to 34°C on Friday. “The thundershowers are likely to bring the mercury down by a couple of degrees. But the relief could be temporary since the temperature will climb yet again. With the cool northwesterly coming to a halt, there is nothing to pull the mercury down,” added Das.The thundershowers are likely to be moderate. During the pre-monsoon season stretching from March to May, Gangetic Bengal and its surrounding areas receive severe thunderstorms. They strike at a speed up to 100 km/ hr. It is a local storm with a cumulonimbus cloud that produces lightning and thunder, gusty winds, strong surface wind squalls, heavy rains, occasionally hail and tornado.“Thunderstorms result from convection that forms cumulus clouds. The main ingredient for cumulus convection is moist air that is warmer than its environment. It rises because it is less dense than the surrounding air. Once that rising air cools to its saturation point it forms a cumulus or convective cell,” explained Das.

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