Red alert in Kolkata for the next 3 hours; MeT predicts over 200 mm rainfall

Heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and strong winds disrupted normal life across Kolkata and several districts of South Bengal on Friday, prompting the weather department to issue a red alert for the next three hours. After a clear morning, dense convective clouds rapidly covered the region by around 12:30 pm, bringing intense rainfall that led to widespread waterlogging and traffic disruptions. Several major roads, including Central Avenue, Strand Road, Thanthania Kalibari Chattar, Salt Lake, and Sector V, were submerged, causing severe traffic congestion and affecting thousands of commuters.

According to the Alipore Meteorological Department, the sudden deterioration in weather conditions was caused by an active monsoon system drawing substantial moisture from the Bay of Bengal. The department warned that South Bengal districts, including Bankura, Nadia, and Paschim Medinipur, are likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall, with cumulative precipitation potentially reaching up to 200 millimetres within a 24-hour period. Civic authorities deployed drainage pumps and intensified efforts to clear waterlogged roads and restore normal traffic movement.

The weather situation has also intensified in North Bengal, where the Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, and adjoining areas. Extremely heavy rainfall exceeding 200 millimetres has been forecast over the coming days, with warnings of possible landslides in hilly regions and flash floods in rivers originating from catchment areas in Sikkim and Bhutan. Authorities are closely monitoring the evolving weather conditions across both North and South Bengal.