Kolkata and several districts of South Bengal are expected to receive rain over the next few days, with the weather department issuing a yellow alert until Sunday. At the same time, a developing weather system over the Andaman Sea is likely to strengthen and could move towards the Odisha and Andhra Pradesh coasts.
Rain Forecast for Kolkata and South Bengal
The weather department has forecast scattered rainfall across Kolkata and other districts of South Bengal from Friday through Sunday. A yellow alert remains in place for the region during this period.
Light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning is possible in South Bengal today. Gusty winds may reach speeds of 30 to 40 kilometres per hour. However, the weather office has not predicted heavy rainfall in these districts at present.
Kolkata recorded a minimum temperature of 25.8 degrees Celsius on Saturday morning, which was 0.5 degrees below normal. The city had registered a maximum temperature of 34.2 degrees Celsius on Thursday, 1.4 degrees above the normal level.
North Bengal Weather Conditions
Some rainfall is also possible in Malda, North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur. However, the weather department does not expect heavy rain in the other districts of North Bengal.
No weather alert has been issued for North Bengal from Saturday onwards. Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar could receive heavy rainfall on Friday, while Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Cooch Behar are likely to see scattered rain along with thunderstorms.
Overall rainfall activity across the state has declined.
Low-Pressure System Over Andaman Sea
Meanwhile, a significant weather system is developing over the Andaman Sea. The cyclonic circulation is expected to reach the North Andaman Sea by Friday evening and could develop into a low-pressure area by Saturday evening.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the system may strengthen into a deep depression by September 21 or 22. It is then expected to move west-northwestwards towards the east-central Bay of Bengal, where it could intensify further.
The IMD has indicated that the system may move towards the South Odisha and North Andhra Pradesh coasts over the following three to four days. However, it is still uncertain whether the depression will eventually develop into a cyclone.
Monsoon Withdrawal Update
The southwest monsoon may begin withdrawing from parts of West Rajasthan on September 19. At present, the monsoon trough extends from a low-pressure area near the Arabian Sea through Digha and further into the Bay of Bengal.
The developing system over the Andaman Sea and its subsequent movement will continue to influence weather conditions along the eastern coast in the coming days.