Kolkata’s June rainfall crosses 187.8 mm, breaks last year’s record with two days still left

Kolkata has recorded 187.8 mm of rainfall between June 1 and 27 this year, already exceeding the 143.2 mm rainfall recorded in the entire month of June 2023. With two days still remaining in the month, the figure is expected to rise further. Despite this increase, Kolkata’s total rainfall for June is still 24% below the normal average for the month.

A cyclonic circulation is likely to form over the northern Bay of Bengal on June 29, which could intensify into a low-pressure area by June 30. Its impact is expected to bring heavy to very heavy rainfall across Kolkata and several South Bengal districts. These include Howrah, North and South 24 Parganas, Purulia, East and West Burdwan, where rainfall may range between 7 to 11 cm.

On June 28, Kolkata experienced 42.7 mm of rainfall, accompanied by overcast skies and intermittent light showers throughout the day. The rain led to a drop in the city’s maximum temperature to 29.3 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, South Bengal as a whole recorded 243.9 mm of rainfall between June 1 and 27, which is 13% above the normal for the period.

According to weather scientist Saurish Bandopadhyay, “Since the onset of the monsoon on June 17, successive cyclonic circulations have caused continuous rain in South Bengal and Kolkata. Most of the rainfall in Kolkata has been light to moderate, while heavy rainfall has been concentrated in surrounding regions.”

This year, the monsoon arrived late in Kolkata. As of early June, rainfall was 49% below normal in Kolkata and 67% below normal in South Bengal. Between 2014 and 2020, only in the year 2018 did Kolkata register above-normal rainfall in June.