North Bengal is set for several more days of rain, with Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar likely to receive heavy to very heavy showers on Wednesday, while rainfall activity is expected to ease across most of South Bengal, including Kolkata, according to the Alipore Meteorological Office.
An orange alert has been issued for Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar for Wednesday. The two districts may also experience gusty winds alongside the intense rainfall. The forecast comes as a low-pressure area that had formed over the northwest Bay of Bengal moves west-northwest towards the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
The weather system is being supported by an associated cyclonic circulation located about 7.6 kilometres above sea level. A trough extending from Rajasthan to the circulation has also persisted across Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The active monsoon trough over Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh is contributing to the continuing rain over northern parts of West Bengal.
Rain and thunderstorms are expected in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong and Cooch Behar from Monday through Thursday. Some parts of these districts could receive heavy rain. North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and Malda are not currently expected to receive heavy rainfall, but the weather office has warned of continuing thunderstorms and gusty winds in those districts.
South Bengal is expected to see a relative reduction in rainfall over the next few days. On Monday, scattered light to moderate rain accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of 30 to 40 kilometres per hour is possible in Purulia, Bankura, East Burdwan, West Burdwan, Birbhum and Murshidabad.
The rest of South Bengal, including Kolkata, is likely to remain mostly dry, although isolated spells of rain may occur. The forecast indicates a regional contrast: northern districts face a continuing period of rain-related disruption, while southern districts move into a drier phase after recent showers.
Kolkata recorded a minimum temperature of 25.2 degrees Celsius on Monday morning, 1.2 degrees below normal. The city’s maximum temperature on Sunday was 31.6 degrees Celsius, also 1.2 degrees below normal.
The current forecast places the most immediate weather concern in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar, where the orange alert is in effect for Wednesday. Rain, lightning and strong winds are expected to remain the main risks across other affected districts through Thursday.
