Rains to intensify, monsoon expected to enter South Bengal within 24-48 hrs

Kolkata: Moderate to heavy rainfall lashed several parts of South Bengal, including Kolkata, on Monday morning bringing down the temperature by a few notches giving some relief to the city dwellers from the hot and humid condition.

The Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore termed it as pre-monsoon rainfall. Monsoon is expected to enter South Bengal within 24-48 hours. Rains will intensify in different districts of South Bengal from June 20, the MeT office predicted.

The sky remained cloudy in the city and in several South Bengal districts from the morning. It started pouring in at around 7 am. Heavy rainfall lashed several thoroughfares and waterlogging was reported from some parts in the city and its adjoining areas.

“Pre-monsoon rain hit Kolkata and other districts on Monday. Monsoon is set to enter South Bengal in the next 24-48 hours. Murshidabad, East Midnapore, West Midnapore will receive heavy rainfall from Wednesday. There will be heavy rainfall in various North Bengal districts like Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar,” a weather official said.

The city on Monday registered its highest temperature at 34 degree Celsius which was one degree below normal while the lowest temperature was registered at 29 degree Celsius. The lowest temperature was 3 degrees below normal. The highest level of relative humidity of the day, however, touched 91 per cent. Some of the low-lying areas in the South Bengal districts were inundated due to heavy rain but the accumulated water soon receded.

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 West Bengal but it will fail to bring relief in South Bengal from the hot and humid conditions. Heat wave conditions prevailed in the western districts of Bengal in the past few days.

The MeT office had 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. The event is 80 per cent likely in the May-June-July period and 90 per cent likely in the June-July-August period.