Heavy rains throw life out of gear in city, showers to intensify soon

A low-pressure system that has developed into a depression would trigger heavy rainfall in Kolkata from Friday till Sunday.

Now positioned near south-eastern Bay of Bengal and moving in a north-west direction towards the Indian coast, it could keep the weather cloudy and likely cause downpour in the city and its surroundings over at least the next 48 hours.

Weather scientists said that rains and thundershowers have started making an appearance across Kolkata. The sky was between cloudy and overcast since Thursday morning, making the conditions favourable for rain activity over the state capital.

Meanwhile, afternoon rains in the city have brought the daily commuters to their knees.

The reason for these showers is the depression brewing in central and south-eastern Bay of Bengal, which is located around 560 km south-east of Visakhapatnam and around 760 km south of Paradip, predicted Skymet Weather Services.

The steady drizzle in the afternoon intensified as many areas in South, Central and East Kolkata were under ankle-deep water. The situation is unlikely to improve as the MeT department has predicted heavy to moderate rains in several districts, including Kolkata, till Sunday.

Passersby had a harrowing time in the middle of the streets, due to rain and traffic congestion. “It took me 45 minute to reach Beck Bagan crossing from Exide Crossing today,” rued a woman travelling by bus.

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) Kolkata on Wednesday evening learnt that the low-pressure system was on its way to developing into a depression. After it happens, it will be easier to gauge its strength and course.

Last week, the region had a scare as Cyclone Kyant threatened to lash the Andhra coast. However, it disintegrated about 200 km away from the coast as a depression without much impact on the weather.

Kolkata, though, received a few spells of light shower. Detected in the last week of October, the system was initially moving towards Myanmar.

It was stationed across central and west central Bay of Bengal and had been drifting towards the Indian landmass. But the system eventually disintegrated.

The RMC Kolkata cyclone experts said that cyclones keep changing their courses and often lose intensity before hitting the land.

“But this rain is due to deep depression. The cyclone is yet to be intensified,” said Ganesh Chandra Das, director of RMC Kolkata.