IMD predicts intense spell of rain over Kolkata, several districts of Bengal

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday morning predicted intense spell of rain accompanied with gusty wind over Kolkata, north and south 24 Pargans, east and west Midnapur, Jhargram, Howrah, Hooghly, east and west Midnapur, east, west Bardhaman, Birbhum districts of West Bengal "during the next 3-4 hours".

The weather department had issued a red alert for very heavy rains in some districts of south Bengal for Tuesday and Wednesday due to a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal and adjoining coastal areas of West Bengal.

The MeT department has predicted water-logging in low-lying areas of cities and towns and damage to standing crops and advised fishermen not to venture into the sea till Thursday. "Extremely heavy rain is likely in one or two places in Purba and Paschim Midnapur and South 24 Parganas districts, and downpour is expected in a few areas of North 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Jhargram districts," Regional Meteorological Centre Director G K Das said, reports news agency PTI.

In South 24 Parganas, one of the three coastal districts in West Bengal, more than 35,000 people were evacuated from low lying areas. “While red alert, the highest form of alert in the four graded rain alert system, was sounded for three districts – East Midnapore, West Midnapore and South 24 Parganas – on Tuesday, for Wednesday it has been sounded for West Midnapore and Jhargram where there could be rainfall up to 200mm,” said an IMD official in Kolkata.

Over the past one week, some districts of West Bengal have received more than three times excess rain over the climatic normal. More than a dozen were killed due to electrocution in water-logged areas in various districts of the state. At least 120,000 people had to be evacuated from two districts.