Following overnight rainfall, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for heavy rain in four north Bengal districts over the next two days. South Bengal is also expected to experience a prolonged spell of showers. The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Alipore has forecast heavy rainfall in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong, and Alipurduar districts, with a red alert in place.
In north Bengal, including Darjeeling, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected to persist on Monday, gradually easing from Tuesday onwards. Additionally, scattered lightning activity is anticipated in Malda and South Dinajpur districts over the next four days. Meanwhile, south Bengal is set to receive heavy rainfall starting from Tuesday in districts like North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, and Jhargram.
Kolkata is likely to witness intermittent rain starting from Sunday, intensifying from Tuesday and continuing through the weekend. Although no new advisory has been issued for fishermen, they are advised to stay updated on weather conditions. Meteorological officials attribute the prolonged wet spell to a weak low-pressure area over western Gangetic West Bengal and an active cyclonic circulation.
The monsoon trough extending from Punjab through Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and southern West Bengal, along with another trough from Bihar to the northwestern Bay, are facilitating a continuous inflow of moisture from the sea. This setup is causing persistent rainfall across the state. A Met official mentioned that the current weather systems are sustaining the rainfall activity in West Bengal, with rain expected to continue in south Bengal until next Saturday and a red alert issued for the four north Bengal districts.
On Sunday morning, Kolkata recorded a minimum temperature of 27.8 degrees Celsius, slightly above normal. The maximum temperature on Saturday was 33.2 degrees Celsius, also above normal.
