The system that was tipped to trigger heavy rain in Kolkata announced its arrival with howling winds on Tuesday evening.
Kolkatans were more worried about heavy rain and the strong gusts caught them off guard.
The skeletal remains of giant advertising billboards swayed dangerously and flower pots on balconies were smashed. Unhinged doors and window panes kept slamming against the panels every now and then.
The Met office recorded a maximum wind speed of 50kmph in Alipore at 8.25pm. Parts of South 24-Parganas and East Midnapore recorded winds at a higher speed.
Till late evening, the city and its adjoining areas did not receive noticeable rain. The sky was cloudy since morning but the Met office recorded only around 4mm of rain in Alipore throughout the day.
The Met office stuck to its heavy rain forecast. “Between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, expect a spell of heavy rain,” a Met official told The Telegraph around 8.30pm.
Heavy rain is likely in Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, North and South 24-Parganas and East and West Burdwan on Wednesday.
The cyclonic circulation that the Met office had said would trigger heavy rain intensified into a low-pressure area on Tuesday.
“The cyclonic circulation had formed over the north-east Bay. It moved north-west and intensified into a low-pressure area. On Tuesday afternoon, it was positioned over the north-west Bay and adjoining coastal areas of Bengal. By evening, it further intensified into a well-marked low-pressure area,” said G.K. Das, director, India Meteorological Department, Kolkata.
“The system entered land in Haldia in East Midnapore around 9pm and continued moving north-westwards,” he said.
The district received sharp spells of rain at night.
Some places in South 24-Parganas, including Sagar and Namkhana, started receiving sharp spells of rain around 4.30pm.
Digha experienced gusts of winds but rain was negligible till late evening.
