Nilofar makes Sunday pleasant

KOLKATA: The light drizzle of Sunday will fizzle out on Monday and there will be no drastic change in temperature in the city, according to weathermen. The cloudiness on Sunday was caused under the influence of cyclone Nilofar, which has formed in the Arabian Sea and is expected to hit the western coast on October 31.
The maximum temperature on Sunday was 29.1 degrees, which is 3 degrees less than normal.On Monday the temperature will remain the same, though north Bengal could see some rainfall.
“In the Arabian Sea, the cyclonic storm Nilofer has formed. It is expected to hit Gujarat and Karachi on Friday. Nilofer is currently moving in a northerly direction but it might take a recurvature in the northeast direction in the Arabian Sea and then is likely to move towards the western coast. Once it hits the western coast, it will intensify into a severe cyclonic storm. Under the influence of this storm, the cloudiness was seen over Bay of Bengal and Kolkata on Monday,” said Devendra Pradhan, deputy director general, meterology.
He emphasized that there is no need to panic, especially for tourists to the northeast, as the cyclonic formation is in the Arabian Sea and not Bay of Bengal.
The sub-Himalayan areas of Bengal may see some weather changes on Monday, but not the Gangetic plains, Pradhan said.
“We have seen Sunday’s cloudiness and drizzle because of the peripheral effect of Nilofar. Now it is moving northwards, so its effect will be seen less in Gangetic West Bengal and more in the sub-Himalayan Bengal — in places like Jalpaiguri and Siliguri. There should be no rain in Kolkata on Monday,” Pradhan added.
Pradhan pointed out another factor that could have led to a cloudy Sunday.
“There is a cyclonic circulation up to 3.1km above the ground level. This could have played a role in the weather condition on Sunday. But this effect won’t last long and Monday should be a bright and sunny day with little or no variation in temperature,” he said.