The first rainy spell since the onset of the monsoon started in Calcutta on Friday night.
The city got a sharp spell of rain, which started a little after 9pm. Around 20 minutes later, the showers were intense enough to reduce visibility in central Calcutta.
By 10.15pm, some parts of the city had ankle-deep water.
A low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal is likely to trigger widespread rain across south Bengal over the next few days, according to the forecast.
“Calcutta is likely to get widespread rain on Saturday and Sunday. Heavy rain is not entirely ruled out,” a Met official said.
“Under the influence of cyclonic circulation over northwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal, a low-pressure area has formed over northwest Bay of Bengal off north Odisha coast. An associated cyclonic circulation extends up to 5.8km above mean sea level. It is likely to move northwestwards during the next two days,” said a Met bulletin issued on Friday afternoon.
“In view of the above meteorological condition, heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely at one or two places over the districts of Bengal.”
The Met bulletin predicted:
- Heavy to very heavy rain (70-200mm) in West Midnapore, Jhargram andPurulia and heavy rain (70-110mm) in East and West Burdwan, Bankura, EastMidnapore, Birbhum, and North and South 24-Parganas on Saturday.
- Heavy rain in Murshidabad, Nadia, Birbhum, and North and South 24-Parganas on Sunday.
This year, the southwest monsoon reached south Bengal on June 21, 10 days behind schedule.
But so far, the monsoon currents have been weak in south Bengal.
