Continuous rainfall has been lashing Kolkata and large parts of South Bengal since Monday night, with heavy showers forecast to continue through Tuesday and Wednesday, the regional meteorological office said.
As of Tuesday morning, Kolkata and its surrounding areas recorded 42.6 mm of rainfall. The sky over the city is expected to remain mostly overcast, with intermittent showers likely across several neighbourhoods throughout the day, the Met office said. The rain has been triggered by a cyclonic circulation over the northwestern Bay of Bengal, which developed into a low-pressure area over Gangetic West Bengal and southwestern Bangladesh early Tuesday. The system is expected to intensify further and move in a west-northwest direction over the next 24 hours.
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The official said that the cyclonic circulation over the northwestern Bay of Bengal has intensified into a low-pressure area, bringing continuous rainfall to large parts of South Bengal since Monday night. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heavy to very heavy rainfall warning for several districts through Wednesday. On Wednesday, very heavy rainfall is expected in West Midnapore, Purulia, Bankura, West Burdwan, and Birbhum. Coastal districts such as South 24-Parganas and East Midnapore are also likely to witness heavy to extremely heavy showers accompanied by gusty winds reaching speeds of up to 50 km/h.
Fishermen have been advised against venturing into the sea on Tuesday and Wednesday, as rough sea conditions are forecast along the coasts of West Bengal and Odisha. Authorities have issued a red alert for marine activities to prevent any untoward incidents. Meanwhile, the southwest monsoon has already advanced into north Bengal. This week, light to moderate rainfall is likely across all northern districts, with heavy showers predicted in Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, and Malda on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar are expected to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall.
The IMD continues to monitor the evolving system closely and has urged residents in vulnerable regions to remain cautious, especially in areas prone to waterlogging and landslides.