Heavy Rainfall Likely To Lash Bengal Till October 20: Weather Department

The meteorological department on Sunday said heavy rainfall is likely to occur in West Bengal till October 20 owing to a low-pressure area over north Telangana and strong southeasterly wind from the Bay of Bengal.

It advised fishermen not to venture into the sea till Tuesday and warned of a rise in water level in rivers, waterlogging in low-lying areas and landslides in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts due to the downpour.

Standing crops in fields, with paddy being almost ready for harvest in several districts of the state, could get damaged, Regional Meteorological Centre's deputy director Sanjib Bandopadhyay said.

Some of the southern districts of the state, including Howrah, Hooghly and East Medinipur, have recently experienced floods owing to downpour and overflowing rivers.

Mr Bandopadhyay said the southern districts of the state, including Kolkata, are likely to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall from Sunday.

North Bengal districts will experience enhanced rainfall from Monday, he said.

The Met department said the downpour, caused by a low-pressure area over north Telangana and strong southeasterly wind, is likely to continue till Wednesday.

Gusty wind with speed reaching up to 40 to 50 km per hour is likely to prevail over South 24 Parganas and East Medinipur and 30 to 40 kmph over Kolkata, Nadia, Howrah, North 24 Parganas and West Medinipur districts, it added.