Kolkata, July 19 (IANS) Following overnight rainfall, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday issued a red alert for heavy rain in four north Bengal districts over the next two days and forecast a prolonged spell of showers across south Bengal.
According to officials at the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Alipore, heavy rainfall is likely on Sunday in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong and Alipurduar districts, prompting the issuance of a red alert. Cooch Behar is expected to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall, while North Dinajpur is also likely to witness heavy showers.
The Met office said heavy to very heavy rainfall would persist across north Bengal, including Darjeeling, on Monday, with the intensity expected to ease from Tuesday. Scattered lightning activity is also likely in Malda and South Dinajpur districts over the next four days.
In south Bengal, heavy rainfall is forecast from Tuesday in North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, East Midnapore, West Midnapore and Jhargram districts. Most districts in the region are expected to receive rain from Sunday through next Saturday. Thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds reaching 30-40 kmph are also likely.
Kolkata is expected to experience intermittent rain from Sunday, with rainfall activity intensifying from Tuesday and continuing through next weekend. While no fresh advisory has been issued for fishermen, authorities have urged them to keep monitoring weather updates.
Meteorological officials attributed the prolonged wet spell to a weak low-pressure area over western Gangetic West Bengal and an active cyclonic circulation extending up to 4.5 km above mean sea level.
In addition, the monsoon trough currently stretches from Punjab through Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand to southern West Bengal and the Bay of Bengal, while another trough extends from Bihar to the northwestern Bay. These systems are facilitating a continuous inflow of moisture from the sea, resulting in persistent rainfall across the state.
“The current weather systems are sustaining the rainfall activity across West Bengal. As per the forecast, rain is likely to continue in south Bengal till next Saturday, while a red alert has been issued for four north Bengal districts,” a Met official said.
On Sunday morning, Kolkata recorded a minimum temperature of 27.8 degrees Celsius, 0.9 degrees above normal. The maximum temperature on Saturday was 33.2 degrees Celsius, 0.4 degrees above normal.
–IANS
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