Kolkata: As the city limps back to normalcy after torrential rain on September 22 had left large parts of the city and several districts waterlogged, killing eight people in Kolkata, a prediction of fresh rainfall has become a worry for the city dwellers ahead of Durga Puja.
Pandal hoppers may have to carry umbrellas or raincoats as the Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore predicted rainfall during Puja days. The MeT office said that a low-pressure area is imminent over the north and adjoining central Bay of Bengal which will trigger a prolonged period of rainfall across Bengal over the next seven days. There will be low pressure on Friday while there is a possibility of another low pressure before Ashtami or Navami. Incidentally, on September 23, torrential rain had left large parts of the city and several districts waterlogged, killing eight people in Kolkata.
“A low pressure is developing from a persistent upper air cyclonic circulation. It is anticipated to intensify into a depression over the northwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal off the South Odisha-North Andhra Pradesh coasts by September 26. The depression is then very likely to make landfall across the South Odisha-North Andhra Pradesh coasts around the morning of September 27,” a weather official said.
Several parts of the city and adjoining districts received fresh spell of rainfall on Thursday afternoon. Some parts of Dum Dum’s Sinthi areas, North 24-Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly received rainfall and thunderstorms lashed the areas.
Fishermen have been urged not to venture into the sea till Sunday. A thunderstorm may occur in several South Bengal districts in the next couple of days with gusty winds measuring 30-40 kmph. There will be heavy rainfall in some South Bengal districts like Jhargram and South 24-Parganas on Saturday, Chaturthi. According to the weather official, the most significant weather is expected on September 27 as heavy rainfall (7-11 cm) is very likely at isolated places. The sky in Kolkata may remain partly cloudy on Friday, becoming generally cloudy by afternoon or evening, with light to moderate rain or thundershowers likely. The maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to be around 33 degrees Celsius and 27 degrees Celsius. Light to moderate rainfall is very likely to continue at many places across South Bengal for the next seven days through October 1.
Thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds are forecasted, with a wind speed of 40-50 kmph over South 24-Parganas, Jhargram, East Midnapore and West Midnapore and 30-40 kmph over the remaining districts. Light to moderate rain or thunderstorms are very likely to occur at many places over North Bengal for the next few days. The heaviest rain is anticipated on September 27, the weather official said. Heavy rainfall (7-11 cm) is very likely at isolated places over Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts.