Monsoon mayhem: More rain in a day than in 3 weeks

Kolkata: A torrential downpour brought Kolkata to its knees on Tuesday morning, inundating large parts of the city and crippling transport systems just days ahead of the Durga Puja festivities.

Between Monday and Tuesday, the city recorded 247.4 mm of rainfall, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD)—more than the 178.6 mm that fell between September 1 and 22. These figures reveal that the city has received more rainfall in a few hours than over 22 days of this month.

The scale of the rainfall was unprecedented. In some neighbourhoods, the downpour in six hours exceeded what the city normally receives in three weeks. Data from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation showed that Ballygunge reported the highest rain at 295 mm, followed by Mukundapur (280 mm), Gariahat (262 mm), Jadavpur (258 mm) and Alipore (240 mm).

The IMD said the deluge was triggered by a low-pressure system over the northeast Bay of Bengal, which is expected to linger for another 24 hours. Meteorologists have warned that more rain could lash Kolkata and adjoining districts, including Howrah, Hooghly and North 24-Parganas.

The heavy downpour turned vast stretches of Kolkata into a waterlogged maze, disrupting traffic, halting several train services and forcing a temporary suspension of Metro operations in some stretches. By Tuesday morning, stranded vehicles and flooded homes bore testimony to the city’s vulnerability to sudden weather shocks.

According to IMD figures, the city received 2,663 per cent more rainfall in 24 hours than its long-term daily average. Howrah recorded 1,006 per cent above normal, while North 24-Parganas received 857 per cent more.