Kolkata and several districts in southern West Bengal may see more rain next week, with the Alipore weather office forecasting thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds over the weekend and heavy rain in four districts from Wednesday.
The weather office said scattered thunderstorms are likely across almost all districts of southern West Bengal on Saturday and Sunday. Wind speeds may reach 30 to 40 kilometres per hour, while Kolkata is also likely to receive rain during the period.
Rainfall is expected to ease from Monday before intensifying again from Wednesday. South 24 Parganas, East Midnapore, West Midnapore and Jhargram may receive heavy rain from Wednesday through Friday, according to the forecast.
An orange warning has been issued for Purulia, Bankura and West Burdwan for Saturday morning. The warning covers rain accompanied by lightning and gusty winds. The forecast indicates a risk of thunderstorms in these districts, although the weather office has not issued a broader alert for the Bay of Bengal at present.
The forecast comes as scattered rain continues across Kolkata and other parts of southern West Bengal. The weather office said a monsoon trough is currently extending from Rajasthan through Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand into West Bengal, before reaching the Bay of Bengal through Digha. This weather pattern is contributing to the possibility of increased rainfall in parts of southern Bengal.
A cyclonic circulation over Thailand was expected to move into the north Andaman Sea by Friday evening. Its influence could lead to the formation of a low-pressure area over the Andaman Sea. The system is expected to move gradually north-northwestwards and reach the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh coast within three to four days, the weather office said.
Another trough extends from north Bengal to north Odisha and may bring more scattered rain to some districts of southern West Bengal. The current forecast also points to the beginning of the southwest monsoon’s withdrawal from parts of western Rajasthan by September 19.
North Bengal is likely to receive scattered rain in the immediate period. Darjeeling and other northern districts may see light to moderate rain with lightning on Saturday, while rainfall is expected to decrease from Sunday. Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar may receive heavy rain on Thursday and Friday next week.
Kolkata recorded a minimum temperature of 26.8 degrees Celsius on Saturday, which was 0.5 degrees above normal. The city’s maximum temperature on Friday was 31.9 degrees Celsius, 0.9 degrees below normal. The Alipore weather office’s next forecast updates will determine whether the district-level warnings are extended or revised as the weather systems develop.
