Written by Anisha Ghosh

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast rain and thunderstorms across several parts of Bengal from July 22 to 28, with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall predicted in some districts later this week.

In several South Bengal districts, light to moderate rain along with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds reaching speeds of 30-40 kmph is likely on Tuesday. The affected areas include South 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Purba and Paschim Bardhaman, Birbhum, and Murshidabad, the IMD bulletin said.

Kolkata will see a generally cloudy sky with chances of light to moderate showers or thundershowers throughout Tuesday. The maximum temperature is expected to be around 33°C, while the minimum is likely to be 28°C. Humidity levels will remain high, with relative humidity ranging between 68 per cent and 93 per cent, the IMD bulletin said.

In north Bengal, a yellow alert has been issued in several districts. Jalpaiguri is under a heavy rain warning, with chances of lightning and gusty winds.

On July 22, some of the hottest temperatures in the state were recorded in Panagarh (37°C), Digha (36.8 °C) and Diamond Harbour (36.2°C). In contrast, Darjeeling recorded a cool 17°C, followed by Kalimpong (22°C) and Alipurduar (24 °C).

Rainfall is expected to increase further in the coming days, with frequent thunderstorms likely, particularly in the second half of the week.

The IMD has advised fishermen not to venture into the sea along the north and central Bay of Bengal and the West Bengal–Odisha coast from July 24 onwards until further notice, due to the possibility of squally weather with winds reaching 35-45 kmph.

(Anisha Ghosh is an intern with The Indian Express)