Heavy rain to continue across Bengal as low-pressure system triggers fresh alerts

Rainfall continued across Kolkata and several South Bengal districts on Thursday due to a persistent low-pressure area over Jharkhand and adjoining Gangetic West Bengal. The system is gradually shifting towards North Chhattisgarh, and the monsoon trough line is currently extended from this system to the northeast Bay of Bengal. This meteorological development has led to consistent rainfall in large parts of South Bengal, disrupting normal activity in some areas.

According to the weather bulletin, districts including Kolkata, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Howrah, Hooghly, and Jhargram are expected to receive moderate to heavy rainfall over the next few days. Alerts for heavy rain have been issued for Sunday and Monday. Sea conditions remain rough, and fishermen have been advised not to venture into deep waters due to high waves and turbulent weather.

In Kolkata, Thursday morning recorded a minimum temperature of 25.1°C, which is 1.8°C below the seasonal average. The maximum temperature on Wednesday stood at 27.4°C, which is 5.1°C below normal. Humidity levels remained high, ranging between 97% and 98%. A total of 12 millimetres of rainfall has been recorded so far in the city. Forecasts suggest that temperatures will range between 25°C and 30°C in the next 24 hours.

In North Bengal, all districts are likely to receive light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms for the next four to five days. The intensity of rainfall may slightly reduce on Thursday and Friday but is expected to increase again over the weekend. The rain activity is associated with the broader monsoon system moving across eastern India, contributing to regional instability and consistent cloud formation.

Rainfall statistics indicate that Kolkata has received 152 millimetres of rain so far in July, while the average monthly rainfall for the city is 396 millimetres. This accounts for more than one-third of the monthly average within the first ten days. Civic authorities have been alerted about possible waterlogging in low-lying areas, and residents are advised to remain cautious and avoid unnecessary movement during periods of heavy rain.