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Bengal may see ‘extreme heavy’ rain today; IMD issues thunderstorms, lightning warning | Weather updates
Scattered to fairly widespread rainfall is likely over West Bengal till May 31, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds reaching 40–50 kmph.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heavy rainfall alert for West Bengal starting May 28, with particularly intense spells expected over Gangetic and Sub-Himalayan regions through the end of the month. The warning has been issued till May 31.
According to the IMD, scattered to fairly widespread rainfall is likely over the state from May 27 to May 31, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds reaching 40–50 kmph. Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is predicted over Gangetic West Bengal between May 27 and 31, while Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim may see very heavy rain from May 29 to 31.
IMD warning for several Bengal districts
The intensification of the monsoon has been aided by a low-pressure area over the northwest Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast, which is expected to become more marked over the next 24 hours. Due to a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal, the IMD issued warnings for specific areas in Bengal. On May 29, south Bengal districts such as North and South 24 Parganas, East and West Midnapore, and Howrah may see heavy rainfall, while Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, and Cooch Behar in North Bengal may receive very heavy rainfall. On May 30, heavy to very heavy rain is likely in East and West Burdwan, Bankura, South 24 Parganas, and Hooghly. Extremely heavy rain may occur in parts of Darjeeling, Alipurduar, and Jalpaiguri.
However, officials warned that the monsoon's rapid progress may not continue indefinitely. They said the low-pressure area will help the monsoon, but after 3-4 days, the monsoon may slow down mainly due to mid-latitude dry air intrusions.
The IMD has also warned of thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds (30–40 kmph) at isolated places in Gangetic West Bengal and Jharkhand on May 28. Fishermen have been advised to avoid venturing into the Bay of Bengal and coastal areas due to squally winds gusting up to 65 kmph from May 27 to May 31.
Residents are advised to stay alert, especially in low-lying and flood-prone areas. Authorities are preparing for potential waterlogging, traffic disruption, and damage to weak structures.
Meanwhile, in the southwest, monsoon made an early entry in Kerala on May 24 with eight days ahead of its usual onset.
