Kolkata: The Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore predicted heavy rainfall in Kolkata and other South Bengal districts in the next 24 hours. Monsoon rain will lash almost all the South Bengal districts within the next 48 hours.
“There may be heavy rainfall in the city and its adjoining areas on Wednesday and Thursday. Monsoon has entered several parts of South Bengal,” a weather official said. Moderate to heavy rainfall lashed several parts of South Bengal including Kolkata on Monday bringing down the temperature by a few notches giving some relief to the city dwellers from the hot and humid condition. Pre monsoon rain hit Kolkata and other districts on Monday. Humidity related discomfort may prevail in some of the South Bengal districts, MeT office said.
The districts like Birbhum, Murshidabad, Nadia, East Burdwan in South Bengal will receive heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours. There will be heavy rainfall in various North Bengal districts like Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Coochbehar. Heavy rainfall may continue in several North Bengal districts in the next five days. There is a possibility of landslides in the hills due to rains.
Incidentally, the onset of Monsoon in South Bengal was delayed by El Nino and Cyclone “Biparjoy”. Monsoon rain was expected to enter South Bengal on June 11. The MeT office had predicted that there may be scattered rainfall in Gangetic Bengal but it will fail to bring relief to the people in South Bengal from hot and humid conditions. Heat wave conditions prevailed in the western districts of Bengal in the past few days.
The MeT office had earlier hinted that the upcoming southwest monsoon season may be delayed and shortened with skewed distribution of rainfall among various regions. A link with a poor monsoon season and an El Nino event developed in the equatorial Pacific Ocean this year was established.