MeT dept predicts improvement of weather condition from today

Kolkata: Light to medium rainfall continued through out the state including the city on Saturday with the Alipore weather office predicting an improvement in the weather condition on Sunday.

"The depression that had centred over Gangetic West Bengal is shifting towards Bangladesh. Hence, there will be improvement in the weather condition from Sunday. South Bengal will receive rainfall in traces while North Bengal will receive medium rainfall till afternoon," a senior official of Alipore weather office said.

In the morning, the depression that was centred about 45 km east southeast of Murshidabad district near Ishrudi in Bangladesh brought in heavy rainfall in the districts of North Bengal like South and North Dinajpur, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar. Murshidabad, parts of Birbhum and Nadia also received reasonable amount of rainfall through out Saturday.

The districts in Gangetic West Bengal on Saturday received light to medium rainfall following Friday's heavy showers that lashed a number of Bengal districts, including Kolkata. The alert for fishermen regarding venturing into the deep sea will remain in the next 12 hours as wind at a speed of 30-40 km will continue to blow along the coasts of Bengal till Sunday morning. Massive rainfall in Jharkhand might force the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) to release water from the dams making the situation worse. "We are prepared to address any situation," a senior official of the state Irrigation department said. The sea at the popular tourist destination at Digha and Mandarmani remained rough with waves rising to a great height and lashing at the beaches. Parts of Sunderbans including areas of Namkhana and Patharpratima were inundated as embankments in some areas caved in due to the heavy rain till Friday late night. The city that had witnessed heavy rainfall on Friday received medium rainfall in the morning with the weather improving from the afternoon. Some of the areas in the city that had recorded heavy rainfall included Maniktala (65 mm), Topsia (63 mm), Palmer Bazaar (61 mm), Jodhpur Park (57 mm), Dhapa (54 mm) Ballygunge (52 mm) among others. It is important to note that despite rains, there was no water logging in the city as the KMC water pumps worked overnight to drain the water out that had accumulated in some low lying areas of North and Central Kolkata on Friday.