Continuous rain that began on Thursday night persisted across Kolkata and its adjoining areas on Friday morning, leaving several roads waterlogged and disrupting normal life. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the rainy spell is unlikely to ease anytime soon, with showers expected to continue in the city until at least Monday.
The Alipore Meteorological Department has forecast thunderstorms accompanied by rain and gusty winds reaching speeds of 30-40 kmph over Kolkata during the period. Similar weather conditions are expected in Howrah, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas, Jhargram, Purulia, Bankura, Paschim Bardhaman and Birbhum, while isolated rainfall may continue in some districts until Wednesday.
The weather office has also issued a heavy rainfall warning for six districts of South Bengal — South 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, Purba Bardhaman, Nadia and Murshidabad. These districts are likely to receive 7-11 cm of rainfall almost every day between Friday and Tuesday.
Meteorologists attributed the prolonged wet spell to the monsoon trough, which currently extends from southwest Uttar Pradesh through Jharkhand and West Bengal into the Bay of Bengal. An active cyclonic circulation over Bangladesh is further enhancing the inflow of moisture from the Bay of Bengal, leading to widespread rainfall across both North and South Bengal over the next few days.
North Bengal is also expected to witness intense rainfall. The IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rain in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar until next Thursday, with rainfall ranging between 7 cm and 20 cm. Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur and Malda are also likely to receive heavy rainfall at isolated places over the coming days.
The weather department has warned that the persistent rain could cause water levels in hill rivers to rise and increase the risk of landslides in the Himalayan districts. Authorities have been advised to remain prepared and take necessary precautionary measures.
Meanwhile, strong winds of 35-45 kmph are prevailing along the West Bengal and North Odisha coasts, making sea conditions rough. The IMD has advised fishermen not to venture into the sea until Friday.
On Friday morning, Kolkata recorded a minimum temperature of 26.8°C, 0.1°C below normal, while Thursday's maximum temperature stood at 30.4°C, 2.1°C below the seasonal average.
