Torrential showers accompanied with lightning on Monday disrupted life in both Kolkata and its districts while claiming a total of eight lives, this morning. The sudden rainfall caused traffic snarls at various crossings of Park Street, Camac Street and other major points.

The commuters faced great difficulties after a sudden thunderstorm and gusty wind, at a speed of 44km per hour, swept Kolkata for about a minute, at around 9.32 a.m. The next squall, with the wind gathering speed, of 48km per hour, lashed the city, about an hour later. Rainfall of about 9.2mm, in the form of heavy drizzles to moderate downpour, continued for about one hour in various parts of the city.

After some respite from the sweltering heat, the weather was back to hot and humid as the maximum relative humidity reached to 93 per cent. The minimum relative humidity also remained at 51 per cent. While the highest temperature recorded was 32.1 (-3) degree Celsius, the lowest fall in the mercury level was found to be 27.8(+2) degree Celsius.

According to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation control room, Behala received no rainfall, Ultadanga received up to 15.24mm of rain. The met officials informed that the depression was caused by a cyclonic circulation that formed over Bihar and its adjoining areas, including West Bengal Jharkhand and Odisha. “A trough line from above the cyclonic circulation continues till Manipur across Gangetic West Bengal,” said the official.

Meanwhile, life was thrown out of gear in various districts, with as many as eight lives being engulfed by lightning. Total five persons died in West Midnapore and Nadia, two in Berhampur and one in East Burdwan. Passengers of two vessels panicked following a collision at Muriganga river at Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas due to strong gusty wind.

Although no casualty was reported, the ferry services remained suspended for about six hours. Trees were uprooted at Holudpool, damaging four houses, and electric wires, leading to power cut at Chinsura and Bandel. Two children and their mother, trapped inside a house cum shop, were rescued by the local people.

The major blow came for the mango orchards in Purulia that have suffered heavily due to the thunderstorm with winds blowing at the speed of 50 to 60km per hour. According to the weather department, the city is likely to have partly cloudy sky and rainfall can be expected in some parts of the city. A forecast of thunderstorm and squalls has been issued across various districts.