Heavy rain likely in North Bengal from Friday; South Bengal set for relief

A heavy to very heavy rainfall alert has been issued for North Bengal districts starting Friday. Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, and Malda are likely to be the worst affected. On Saturday, the intensity of rainfall may increase in Darjeeling, North Dinajpur, and Malda. An orange alert has been issued for these districts till Monday due to the expected weather conditions.

The weather system is being driven by a cyclonic circulation located over the northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining regions of Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal. Additionally, a low-pressure trough extends from northeast and northwest Madhya Pradesh to the northeast Bay of Bengal, passing through Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal, and Bangladesh. A monsoonal trough is also active, stretching from Bikaner to Ranchi and Digha, and further southeast into the Bay of Bengal.

In South Bengal, scattered heavy rainfall is likely on Thursday in districts including East Bardhaman, West Bardhaman, Birbhum, and Murshidabad. Most districts, including Kolkata, are expected to receive light to moderate rain along with wind speeds reaching 30 to 40 kilometres per hour. From Friday, rainfall activity in South Bengal is expected to reduce, and temperatures may rise.

Kolkata recorded 40.6 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours. The city’s minimum temperature on Thursday was 25.7 degrees Celsius, while the maximum temperature on Wednesday stood at 28.5 degrees Celsius. Humidity levels in the city ranged between 94 to 100 percent. Weather conditions may remain humid and uncomfortable due to rising temperatures and residual moisture in the atmosphere.