The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday issued a yellow alert for Kolkata and several districts in south Bengal, forecasting light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds (30–40 km/h) through the weekend.
A senior official from the Met department said, “Heavy rainfall will continue across Bengal over the next few days. The monsoon trough extending from Bihar to Bangladesh, passing over Gangetic West Bengal, is bringing significant moisture into the region. This system is responsible for the widespread rainfall.”
According to the Regional Meteorological Centre in Kolkata’s Alipore, heavy rainfall is expected in districts such as Hooghly, east Burdwan, Bankura, South 24 Parganas, and Nadia.
Additionally, light to moderate rain with thundershowers is likely at isolated locations in Birbhum, Murshidabad, east Burdwan, Bankura, west Midnapore, and South 24 Parganas, as per the IMD. On Friday, rain is likely to intensify in some of these districts, with the possibility of heavy rain in Purulia, accompanied by gusty winds. However, the intensity of rainfall in south Bengal is expected to reduce from Saturday.
The flood-like conditions already prevailing in West Midnapore, Howrah, and Hooghly are expected to worsen due to continued heavy rainfall.
On Wednesday, Kolkata recorded a maximum temperature of 29.2°C, which is 2°C below normal, and a minimum temperature of 23.5°C, 3°C below normal. The relative humidity ranged from 89% to 98%, contributing to the discomfort despite lower temperatures.
Meanwhile, North Bengal is expected to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall over the coming days, particularly in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong, and Alipurduar. Heavy showers are also likely in Cooch Behar and Malda.
The persistent downpour is expected to cause a rise in water levels of rivers such as the Teesta, Torsa, and Jaldhaka, posing a flood risk to low-lying areas nearby.
There is also an increased risk of landslides in the hill regions, especially along NH-10, which has already seen multiple landslides in recent days. This has disrupted road connectivity between Sikkim and north Bengal’s Siliguri.
(IANS)