Heavy rain forecast for north Bengal, warning issued for possible landslides and rising river levels
Kolkata, July 7
The Met Department on Tuesday predicted heavy rain in north Bengal districts, warning that this is likely to cause landslides in the hill areas while the water level in rivers may rise beyond the danger limit.
It also ruled out the possibility of heavy rain in south Bengal districts for now.
"The depression is clearing over south Bengal districts. Therefore, heavy rain is unlikely. Scattered light to moderate rain will continue. However, heavy rain has been predicted in north Bengal, which could swell rivers and cause landslides. Specific warning for rain has been issued," a Met Department official said.
In north Bengal, an orange alert has been issued for heavy rain in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, and Jalpaiguri districts on Tuesday. A yellow alert for heavy rain has been issued in the remaining districts. However, a red alert has been issued for five hill districts on Wednesday as very heavy rain is likely. A yellow alert for heavy rain has also been issued in North Dinajpur district.
The Met Department has sounded a warning that landslides may occur in the hill areas including Darjeeling and Kalimpong. The water level of rivers including Teesta, Torsa, Jaldhaka, and Raidak may flow above the danger level. Low-lying areas may be flooded, while there is a risk of damage to crops.
On the other hand, there will be cloudy skies in south Bengal on Tuesday and Wednesday. A yellow alert for scattered light to moderate rain with thunderstorms has been issued in south Bengal districts.
The possibility of thunderstorms will increase in south Bengal, including Kolkata, from Thursday. There will be a possibility of heavy rain on Friday in North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas districts. A yellow alert for thunderstorms is in place on Saturday and Sunday in south Bengal districts.
Chances of rain in Kolkata will increase again from Thursday. A yellow alert has been issued for thunderstorms and rain over the weekend. On Monday, the minimum temperature in Kolkata was 26 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperature was 29 degrees Celsius. Relative humidity was between 86 and 98 per cent. Rainfall in the last 24 hours was 3.7 millimetres.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Red alert for five hill districts on Wednesday - that's serious. The Met Department should ensure warnings reach local villages in time, not just through news channels. Mobile towers might go down during landslides. Need better communication channels.
I'm in Kalimpong for a holiday trip and just got the alert. The hotel staff is saying this is normal for July but I've never seen such strong warnings 😅 Guess I'll have to enjoy the rain from inside! Stay safe everyone.
Every year same story for north Bengal - heavy rains, floods, crop damage. Government needs to invest in better drainage systems and river management, especially for Teesta and Torsa. Farmers in Cooch Behar and Alipurduar are going to suffer again.
South Bengal folks can breathe a little easier for now but Thursday onwards we might get thunderstorms. Kolkata's humidity is already unbearable at 86-98% 😩 3.7mm rain in 24 hours did nothing. At this point, I'd welcome some heavy rain to cool things down!
The Met Department's color-coded alerts are helpful but many rural residents don't understand the severity difference between yellow, orange, and red alerts. Local authorities should translate warnings into simple language along with dos and don'ts.
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