Calcutta and it’s adjoining areas are expected to get light to moderate rainfall on Navami and Dashami, caused by a deep depression on the Bay of Bengal which is likely to move towards Bangladesh, Met officials said on Sunday.
The depression is likely to get stronger as it barrels towards the eastern coast, Met officials said.
But Calcutta will most likely be spared heavy rain as a recurve — a change in direction — is expected to take the storm towards western Bangladesh coast, too far from Bengal to have any significant impact.
However, the system is expected to bring light rain to Calcutta and some other parts of south Bengal between Monday and Wednesday, according to the Met forecast.
“The depression over west central Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 6kmph during the past six hours and lay centered at 8.30am on October 22 over the same region... about 590km south of Paradip (Odisha), 740km south of Digha (West Bengal), and 880km south-southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh),” said a Met bulletin issued on Sunday afternoon.
“It is likely to further intensify into a deep depression during the next 12 hours. It is likely to move northwestwards during next 12 hours, then recurve and move north- northeastwards during subsequent 3 days towards Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal coasts,” the bulletin added.
A deep depression intensifies into a cyclone if conditions are favourable. “This system might still turn into a cyclone. But dry winds from northwestern India have already started to enter the system and weaken it,” said G.K. Das, director, India Meteorological Department, Calcutta.
Dry northwesterly winds are dominating the atmosphere now. The mornings and afternoons have been bright and sunny. The late nights and early mornings have been nippy, with just a hint of chill.
Heat and moisture are the two main components of a storm on the sea. The cold dry winds are inimical to the storm.
The sky in Calcutta, which had been bright and sunny for the past few days, turned gloomy on Sunday afternoon. From Monday, the sky is likely to be [partially cloudy.
Light rain is expected on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Besides Calcutta, East Midnapore, South-24 Parganas, North-24 Parganas, East Burdwan, West Midnapore, Hooghly and Howrah are also likely to be affected by the system.
The weather should improve from Thursday, said a Met official.
On the Arabian Sea, a severe cyclonic storm is barreling towards the coast.
Cyclone Tej intensified into an extremely severe cyclonic storm on Sunday, the IMD said. The storm is moving northwestwards and is expected to cross the Yemen-Oman coast between Al Ghaidah in Yemen and Salalah in Oman early on October 25, the IMD said.