Kolkata: The Regional Meteorological Centre at Alipore predicted heavy rainfall in various South Bengal districts including the city within the next 48 hours following fresh cyclonic circulation that has formed over North Bay of Bengal.
According to the weather office prediction, a low pressure trough may also develop over the Gangetic plains of Bengal bringing more rain in the city and the districts. Some of the North Bengal districts may also receive moderate to heavy rainfall. Rain lashed the city and adjoining districts on Tuesday morning disrupting normal lives.
Rain that lasted for a few hours in the morning inundating some stretches within the city. Normal traffic movement was also affected due to the rain. Districts like Midnapore, East and West Bardhaman and Bankura, North 24-Parganas, South 24-Parganas and Howrah observed light to moderate rainfall, while a central district like Murshidabad witnessed sporadic showers on Tuesday.
A senior MeT official said cyclonic circulation may intensify to a low pressure trough over Bay of Bengal on late Tuesday night resulting in more rainfall in the South Bengal districts. The condition may slightly improve from next Thursday evening. The official also said active monsoon conditions have been persisting over Bengal due to which various South Bengal districts have been observing rain and thundershowers for the last few days. North Bengal districts like Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling and Cooch Behar witnessed moderate to heavy showers in past 24 hours.
According to the prediction, North 24-Parganas, South 24-Parganas, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Purulia, Bankura, Birbhum will receive heavy rainfall on Wednesday and Thursday. The MeT office said the city received 71 mm of rainfall in six hours from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm on Tuesday. It may be mentioned that neighbouring states like Jharkhand and Odisha would also receive scattered rainfall in the next two days.
"Showers would increase over Sub-Himalayan Bengal as the Eastern end of the axis of Monsoon trough is shifting northward. The intensity of the rainfall may, however, reduce from Thursday evening in the city and South Bengal districts. Scattered rainfall may continue in some parts of South Bengal rest of the week," a senior weather official said.
According to the sources a the Met office, Monsoon is most likely to start withdrawing from Northwest India by the end of this week. The formation of successive weather systems in the North Bay of Bengal would contribute towards more rainfall in the state in the next few days.