A developing cyclonic system over the Bay of Bengal is expected to bring heavy rain to parts of West Bengal from November 19 to 21, with coastal districts facing the earliest impact, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The weather system was located over the southeast and southwest Bay of Bengal as a depression on November 15. The IMD said it was very likely to move north-northwestward and gradually intensify into a severe cyclonic storm over the east-central Bay of Bengal on November 17.
South 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur are likely to receive heavy rain between November 19 and 21. The forecast also covers the southern districts of Howrah, Paschim Medinipur and Jhargram, where heavy rain is expected on November 20 and 21.
Kolkata and most districts of Gangetic West Bengal may experience thunderstorms accompanied by winds of up to 40 km per hour, the weather department said. The forecast places the state’s coastal and southern urban areas within the period requiring close monitoring for rain-related disruption.
The anticipated rainfall could affect normal movement and civic operations in areas vulnerable to waterlogging, although the IMD report supplied for this story does not specify expected rainfall totals, school or transport advisories, evacuation plans, or district-level emergency measures.
The developing system is also expected to alter temperatures across South Bengal. The IMD said day and night temperatures were likely to rise by two to three degrees Celsius from November 18, potentially ending the recent nip in the air before the rain arrives.
On November 15, Darjeeling recorded West Bengal’s lowest minimum temperature at 8.2 degrees Celsius, while Kolkata recorded a minimum of 21.3 degrees Celsius. The temperature readings provide a snapshot of the sharp contrast between the state’s northern hills and the southern plains as the storm system develops offshore.
The forecast comes as coastal districts prepare for a period of potentially heavy rainfall and gusty weather. The IMD’s next updates will be important for determining the system’s eventual track, intensity and more precise local impacts. The weather department has identified November 19 to 21 as the main period for heavy rain in the affected parts of West Bengal.
