Persistent rainfall since Monday night has thrown life out of gear across large parts of south Bengal, including Kolkata, as a low-pressure area over Gangetic West Bengal and adjoining regions intensified, the Alipore Meteorological Department said Tuesday.
Waterlogging in Kolkata (iStock photo)
Persistent rainfall since Monday night has thrown life out of gear across large parts of south Bengal, including Kolkata, as a low-pressure area over Gangetic West Bengal and adjoining regions intensified, the Alipore Meteorological Department said Tuesday.
A cyclonic circulation, currently moving northwestwards towards Jharkhand and northern Chhattisgarh, has further intensified the monsoonal activity in the region. The department confirmed that the monsoon trough now extends from Sriganganagar in Rajasthan to Purulia in West Bengal, via Varanasi and Daltonganj.
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The weather office has forecast light to moderate rainfall across southern districts of West Bengal throughout Tuesday, accompanied by overcast skies and wind speeds reaching 30-40 kmph. Heavy rain is likely in isolated pockets of Purulia and Jhargram. Northern districts, including Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong, and Alipurduar, are also expected to witness heavy rain on Wednesday.
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Kolkata recorded a maximum temperature of 29.2 degrees Celsius on Monday—3.3 degrees below normal—while the minimum dropped to 25.4 degrees Celsius. The forecast for Tuesday suggests a high of 31 degrees and a low of 26 degrees Celsius.
In the past 24 hours, Alipore received 81.6 mm of rain, Dum Dum 99.3 mm, and Salt Lake 88.3 mm. Widespread waterlogging was reported in several areas of Kolkata, including Fears Lane, BB Ganguly Street, Central Avenue, and areas near North Port police station. Underpasses in Kankurgachi, Patipukur, and Ultadanga were submerged, with water levels rising from ankle to knee-deep in several places. The downpour disrupted suburban train services on the Howrah and Sealdah lines due to water accumulation on tracks. In Arambagh, Hooghly district, electricity supply was cut off in large parts of the town after an electric pole collapsed. The state power distribution agency said efforts were underway to restore services by Tuesday afternoon. The regional weather office has warned of continued showers and urged residents to remain cautious.
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