Rain, thunderstorms to continue in Kolkata, south Bengal; Orange Alert in 7 districts
Kolkata, March 31
Several districts of south Bengal, including Kolkata, witnessed moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning from Monday night, with overcast conditions continuing into Tuesday morning, the Meteorological Department said.
The skies have remained overcast, with scattered rain occurring at several places.
The Regional Meteorological Centre in Kolkata's Alipore forecasts further rainfall for the rest of the day and on Wednesday as well. There is also a possibility of rain across the entire West Bengal. An 'Orange Alert' has been issued for seven districts in South Bengal.
The prediction is not limited to rain alone. Gusty winds, blowing at speeds of 50 to 60 km per hour, may occur in isolated pockets.
A 'Yellow Alert' has been issued for Kolkata and the rest of South Bengal. In Kolkata, gusty winds ranging from 40 to 50 km per hour are expected today. Heavy rain has been forecast for Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, and Alipurduar districts in north Bengal. The rainy weather is likely to persist in South Bengal districts till Thursday. The temperatures are likely to rise by 3 to 4 degrees Celsius after that.
"An east-west trough extends from North-East Bihar to Manipur, passing over northern Bangladesh, Meghalaya, and South-East Assam. Additionally, another active trough stretches from Bihar, through Jharkhand, to Gangetic West Bengal. Due to the influx of substantial moisture from the Bay of Bengal and favourable wind patterns, stormy weather accompanied by lightning is expected to intensify today," said a Met department official.
According to the official, the sky is expected to remain overcast throughout the day on Tuesday. There is a likelihood of storms, rain, and gusty winds in the afternoon. The maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to hover around 32 degrees C and 25 degrees C, respectively.
Since Tuesday morning, a drizzle has commenced in the Bankura district. Meanwhile, intermittent rain since Monday evening has helped keep temperatures somewhat in check, with the minimum temperature dropping a few degrees in several places.
— IANS
Reader Comments
My flight from Kolkata got delayed yesterday because of this. The Met department's forecast was accurate, I'll give them that. But the infrastructure at the airport to handle these disruptions needs improvement. The waiting areas were chaotic.
Good that the temperatures are dropping a bit. The last week was unbearable! ☀️➡️🌧️ Hope the rain helps the farmers in the surrounding districts. Just worried about waterlogging in some parts of the city as usual.
Visiting from the US and caught in this weather! It's quite an experience. The thunder last night was intense. Local friends say this is pretty normal for pre-monsoon? Stay safe, everyone.
Gusty winds of 50-60 kmph can cause real damage. Hope the authorities have alerted people in vulnerable kutcha houses and hoardings are secured. The detailed explanation about the trough from the Met official is actually very informative.
Perfect weather for pakoras and chai! 😄 But on a serious note, hope our disaster management teams are on standby, especially with the alert in multiple districts. Better to be prepared.
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