Kolkata Puja weather is likely to remain unsettled through the first days of the festival, with light to moderate and intermittent rain forecast across Kolkata and several coastal and adjoining districts before conditions turn dry from Sunday, according to the Alipore weather office.
The forecast comes as pandal-hopping begins across the city on Chaturthi. The weather office said a trough extending towards the northern Bay of Bengal at lower levels, along with an influx of moisture into south Bengal, is creating conditions for rain over the next three to four days.
On Wednesday, light to moderate rain was forecast in Kolkata, South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, East Midnapore, West Midnapore and Howrah. The source report said scattered light rain had already occurred in Kolkata, the two 24 Parganas districts and the two Midnapore districts.
Rain is expected to increase on Panchami, with scattered light to moderate showers possible in Kolkata, South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Howrah and Jhargram. Other districts in south Bengal could also receive isolated light rain.
The weather office expects rainfall to reduce substantially on Shashthi, when scattered light to moderate showers are likely mainly in South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore. On Saptami, isolated light rain may occur in Kolkata, Howrah, both 24 Parganas districts, both Midnapore districts and Jhargram.
A broader shift to dry weather is expected across south Bengal from Sunday, described in the report as the second Saptami. The change could bring more stable conditions for late-evening movement and outdoor events, although the forecast does not indicate that all rain will stop immediately before then.
The district-level forecast is significant for Puja visitors because the affected areas include Kolkata and several of the districts connected to the city through major road and rail routes. Intermittent showers can affect pedestrian movement around crowded pandals, temporary structures, traffic flow and the use of open public spaces, but the weather office forecast does not indicate continuous heavy rain in the supplied report.
North Bengal is expected to remain mainly dry, although Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar may receive scattered light to moderate rain until October 18. The weather office also said the southwest monsoon has already withdrawn from most districts of West Bengal.
The remaining areas with monsoon presence include the two Midnapore districts, both 24 Parganas districts and parts of Howrah. The Alipore weather office said the monsoon is expected to withdraw from these areas within the next 48 hours.
