Due to the city’s unusual inter-seasonal dry spell, which will reach 136 days, the winter to spring transition period this year will be the driest since the record of 172 rainless days set in 2005-2006.  This year’s unexpected dry winter and spring, which began on October 26, 2022, seem to be following the previous similar, shocking rare occurrence, which started on October 25, 2005, and lasted until April 16, 2006. Kolkata typically experiences brief periods of light rain and clouds in the middle of January due to western disturbances.

     Records show that over 12mm of rain fell over six days in January of last year. According to G K Das, director of the Regional Meteorological Center, this is a very unusual occurrence. The spell might end by March 15 of this year, he did say. The likelihood of a thunderstorm in Kolkata is 10% because a nor’wester is expected to make landfall in northwest Bengal on March 10 or 11. Between March 10 and 11, the nor’wester is unlikely to bring rain to Kolkata. If it rains at all, it might do so for up to ten minutes. But according to Das, it won’t be sufficient to avoid the increasing heat.
Over the past week, the temperature has been gradually rising toward and exceeding the maximum of 34°C. After days of sunshine, the appearance of clouds around noon may signal an upcoming weather change. In addition to containing the rising heat, winter rain is crucial to lowering air pollution. The air quality index (AQI) for January showed the worst air pollution in that month in five years, and this has been assigned to the lack of rain.Delhi will be the most polluted city in the winter of 2022-2023, with Kolkata coming in second, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. The city’s air quality has, however, significantly improved since the end of February as a result of strong winds and rising temperatures. From March to May, there are usually 12 or so thunderstorms per month in Kolkata. These frequently develop into blows with winds of at least 45 km/h. While the nor’wester is predicted to bring thunderstorms to the western districts of Bengal, including Purulia, Jhargram, West Midnapore, Bankura, and West Burdwan, on March 11, it’s likely that sunshine will replace the scanty cloud cover in Kolkata.