West Bengal is set to face another spell of heavy rain and strong winds from Tuesday as a weather system over the Bay of Bengal is expected to intensify into a deep depression, with the Alipore weather office warning of rough seas and advising fishermen to return to shore by Monday.
The system began as a circulation over the north Andaman Sea, extending up to 7.6 kilometres above sea level. Its influence is expected to create a low-pressure area over the east-central Bay of Bengal, which may move west-northwestwards and strengthen into a depression by Monday. By Tuesday, it is likely to intensify further into a deep depression and reach the coastal areas near Odisha and Andhra Pradesh by Wednesday morning.
The system is expected to affect parts of West Bengal from Tuesday through Friday. North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore may receive heavy rain from Tuesday. Several other districts could experience intermittent heavy rain between Wednesday and Friday, accompanied by squally winds of 40 to 50 kilometres per hour.
The weather office has issued an orange alert for four districts where rain and thunderstorms are expected to be more intense. North 24 Parganas is likely to see stronger weather activity on Friday and Saturday, while West Midnapore may experience heavier rain and storms on Thursday. South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore are expected to receive continuous heavy rain from Wednesday to Saturday.
Birbhum, East Burdwan, Murshidabad and Nadia may also receive isolated spells of heavy rain. The report said thunderstorms and rain are possible in parts of South Dinajpur and Malda, although heavy rainfall is not expected in those two districts at present. Kolkata is also not expected to receive heavy rain immediately.
The sea is expected to become rough from Monday. Winds over the east-central and adjoining northeast Bay of Bengal may reach 45 to 55 kilometres per hour on Monday and 50 to 60 kilometres per hour on Tuesday. Gusts near the central Bay of Bengal could reach 70 kilometres per hour, with strong winds continuing through Wednesday and Thursday. Along the West Bengal coast, winds of 40 to 50 kilometres per hour are forecast from Wednesday to Friday.
The rough sea conditions have prompted an advisory for fishermen. Those at sea have been asked to return to the coast by Monday, while fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea from Monday through Friday. The warning is particularly relevant to coastal districts, where fishing operations and small boats face greater exposure during rapidly worsening sea conditions.
North Bengal, which has recently seen a reduction in rainfall, may receive another increase from Wednesday. Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri are likely to see heavy rain from Thursday, while Kalimpong, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar and North Dinajpur may receive heavy rain from Friday through Saturday. The latest forecast places the main period of coastal and southern Bengal disruption between Tuesday and Saturday, subject to the system’s movement and intensification over the Bay.
