Puja revellers might get drenched as Met office forecasts rain during festive days

Rain might play spoilsport during Durga Puja this year and make life difficult for puja revellers and pandal hoppers in the state, especially in Kolkata. Durga Puja is celebrated with pomp and grandeur across Bengal and in other parts of Eastern India every year.

The Alipore Meteorological office predicted that the sky would mostly remain overcast in many parts of the state and there would be scattered rain or thundershowers during the puja days. There is specific forecast for light to moderate rainfall or thundershowers in some parts of the city on October 7 and 8, while there are chances of thunderstorms accompanied with rain on October 9 and11.

As per the weather forecast, the temperature in the city will remain between 26° and 34° Celsius during the six puja days.

The Alipore weather office also said that an upper air cyclonic circulation over some parts of Bay of Bengal off the northern coast of Andhra Pradesh still persists. There is another upper air cyclonic circulation lying over North Eastern Bay of Bengal and its neighbouring areas, therefore affecting weather conditions in the Eastern parts of the country including Bihar, Odisha and Jharkhand.

The cyclonic circulation will gradually move towards the North-West direction. On Thursday, Gangetic Bengal received light to moderate rains. However, in some pockets, there was heavy rain fall.

Moderate to heavy rains are likely in sub-Himalayan Bengal and Sikkim. Scattered rains will continue over Gangetic Bengal. According to the forecast, both North and South Bengal districts will witness scattered rainfall.

The MeT office said that rain or thundershower would be caused by upper air circulation and thunder clouds. A senior official of the MeT office said that pandal hoppers might get drenched while visiting the puja pandals.

At present, the cumulative rainfall figure for October is around 83 per cent less than normal. The rainfall predicted during pujas might balance the rainfall deficiency in the state, so far.