It was another washed-out start to the week for Kolkata as thunder and rain engulfed the city from Sunday night. The sun was missing in action on Monday morning after giving Durga Puja shoppers some respite on Sunday.
In its forecast bulletin on Monday morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said: “A cyclonic circulation lies over Northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas of North Odisha-West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts extending up to mid-tropospheric levels tilting south-westwards with height.”
With the rain coming down heavy through the morning on Monday, Kolkata airport tweeted an advisory to travellers to leave for the airport early.
The IMD's Kolkata website also flashed a warning early on Monday: “Thunderstorm with lightning and light to moderate rainfall likely to continue over some parts of Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal during next 1-2 hours from 0715 hours of today ,the 20th September' 2021.”
“A cyclonic circulation lies over Gangetic West Bengal and adjoining places," said Dr Sanjib Bandyopadhyay, deputy director general, IMD, Kolkata. "The monsoon trough is also positioned over Kolkata. As a result of the two weather systems, Kolkata and other southern districts will experience light to moderate spells of showers with thunderstorms and lightning on September 20 and 21.”
The Alipore Met office has also warned fishermen in the coastal areas against venturing out.
According to the five-day district-level weather forecast for Gangetic West Bengal issued on Monday by the Alipore Met office, it will be a wet week with light to moderate rain and thunder “very likely” every day.
Monday morning commuters faced water woes.
"There was no auto and there is waterlogging all along the stretch from Rajabazar to Salt Lake," said a woman who travels the route for work.
“Fairly widespread to widespread rainfall with & isolated heavy falls likely to continue over Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal on 19th & 20th September, 2021,” said the forecast from the IMD published on Saturday.
Since last week, Kolkata has been under the grip of one wet spell after another, triggered by successive weather systems.
