Not heavy showers as predicted, the city is set to get only moderate rain under the influence of Titli.

“A drizzle started in Calcutta on Friday afternoon, while Titli was moving towards Bengal over Odisha. The rain is likely to gain in intensity and continue till Saturday afternoon,” an official in the weather department said.

The weather system was supposed to arrive in Calcutta as a deep depression but it had already degenerated into a depression by Friday afternoon. By the time it passes over the city and its surrounding areas, expectedly early on Saturday, the storm is likely to weaken further and become a well-marked low-pressure area.

The Puja days will be sunny, according to the forecast.

Titli had made landfall in north Andhra Pradesh at 140kmph as a very severe cyclonic storm on Thursday morning. It travelled northwestwards before taking a sharp right turn towards Bengal early on Friday.

Weather scientists said rapid weakening of the storm and its trajectory along the coastline meant that the city might be spared “heavy to very heavy” rain, as forecast earlier, and get away with moderate rain.

“Heavy to very heavy” rain means 60-200mm over 24 hours, while 20-59mm over the same period qualifies as moderate rain.

“Since the storm is moving close to the coast, much of the rain it is generating is falling on the sea,” a scientist said.

“Titli had slowed down over the Bay. After landfall, it recurved towards Bengal later than expected and moved slower than predicted. That is why it is scheduled arrive in south Bengal behind schedule. The delay also means it is arriving weaker than expected,” said Sanjib Bandyopadhyay, deputy director general, India Meteorological Department, Calcutta.

The sky remained cloudy throughout Friday with the outer band of the clouds around the storm reaching the city. A drizzle started in the afternoon and till 8.30pm, the various pockets in the city received between 2mm and 8mm of rain.

Meteorologists expect light showers in Calcutta on Sunday, too, because of the residual effects of the weather system, which is expected to enter Bangladesh by Saturday night.