MeT: Rain likely to intensify in South Bengal on Sat & Sunday

Kolkata: The Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore on Tuesday said five North Bengal districts will continue to receive heavy rainfall throughout the week while the rainfall may intensify in South

Bengal districts on Saturday and Sunday.

A yellow alert for heavy rainfall had already been issued for North Bengal districts. The MeT office said that a combination of monsoon axis and a low pressure have contributed towards the rainfall. According to the MeT office, a low-pressure zone has been stretching from north east Rajasthan up to Jamshedpur in Jharkhand and Contai in East Midnapore. Another low pressure has been situated over Assam.

Several South Bengal districts may receive light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms. The districts like Hooghly, East Burdwan, West Burdwan, Birbhum, Murshidabad and Nadia will receive spells of thundershowers.

The North Bengal districts situated in the upper parts will receive heavy showers throughout the week which can trigger landslides in the hilly regions. State is currently experiencing heavy monsoon rains, which have been intensified by a cyclone and a low-pressure system. Several districts of Bengal have been facing continuous rain for the past few days.

Incidentally, the state government last week issued an alert to the districts’ administrations following the prediction of rainfall. Around 47 per cent rain deficit has been recorded in south Bengal till the middle of July. Bengal this year witnessed the entry of monsoon rains in the month of May after 15 years.

The state had registered a similar situation in 2009 when the monsoon entered North Bengal on May 25. In 2006 and 2007, monsoon entered North Bengal in May. Monsoon entered north Bengal on May 31 this year.