KOLKATA: The prolonged rainfall that has gathered momentum since the last week of September is unlikely to abate before weekend, despite the gradual weakening of the low pressure in the Bay of Bengal.
The well-marked low pressure area that developed in the east central Bay of Bengal reduced in force after reaching southwest Jharkhand and north Chhattisgarh on Monday. However, the cyclonic circulation that it brought to coastal Bengal, including Kolkata, is likely to bring at least 10mm to 20mm of rainfall a day in the city until at least Friday, possibly extending up to Saturday.
Despite the rain spells extending till the weekend, the intensity is likely to decrease and the showers may be reduced to a drizzle. From the 59.8mm of rainfall on Saturday, when the low pressure was at its peak, the magnitude of daily precipitation has been falling gradually, coming down to 39.1mm on Sunday and 28.4mm on Monday. Regional Meteorological Centre director G K Das said the rest of the week might see mild to moderate rainfall of around 20mm a day.
Kolkata, which recorded 485.3mm of rainfall by the end of September, is in the running to be the wettest Bengal district in the September-October leg of monsoon. The state capital is in competition only with East Midnapore, which received a seasonal total of 434.4 mm of rainfall as of September 29. “Coastal areas of Bengal got the most rainfall in September due to frequent cyclonic circulations in the Bay. It is not uncommon for Kolkata to get a surplus September rain compared to the rest of the districts, but it represents a weak monsoon,” said Das. Kolkata’s 53% rain surplus in September helped south Bengal catch up to its normal rain count, finishing at a 2% deficit, combining the figure of 13 south Bengal districts, including Kolkata.
The well-marked low pressure area that developed in the east central Bay of Bengal reduced in force after reaching southwest Jharkhand and north Chhattisgarh on Monday. However, the cyclonic circulation that it brought to coastal Bengal, including Kolkata, is likely to bring at least 10mm to 20mm of rainfall a day in the city until at least Friday, possibly extending up to Saturday.
Despite the rain spells extending till the weekend, the intensity is likely to decrease and the showers may be reduced to a drizzle. From the 59.8mm of rainfall on Saturday, when the low pressure was at its peak, the magnitude of daily precipitation has been falling gradually, coming down to 39.1mm on Sunday and 28.4mm on Monday. Regional Meteorological Centre director G K Das said the rest of the week might see mild to moderate rainfall of around 20mm a day.
Kolkata, which recorded 485.3mm of rainfall by the end of September, is in the running to be the wettest Bengal district in the September-October leg of monsoon. The state capital is in competition only with East Midnapore, which received a seasonal total of 434.4 mm of rainfall as of September 29. “Coastal areas of Bengal got the most rainfall in September due to frequent cyclonic circulations in the Bay. It is not uncommon for Kolkata to get a surplus September rain compared to the rest of the districts, but it represents a weak monsoon,” said Das. Kolkata’s 53% rain surplus in September helped south Bengal catch up to its normal rain count, finishing at a 2% deficit, combining the figure of 13 south Bengal districts, including Kolkata.
