Bay system likely to trigger heavy rain in city on Thurs, predicts Met

Kolkata: The Met office on Sunday issued heavy rain alert for Kolkata on Thursday.

According to a special bulletin from IMD, the low-pressure area may form over west-central and adjoining north Bay of Bengal around Tuesday. It has the potential to cause heavy to very heavy rainfall from Wednesday in some districts of south Bengal, including Kolkata. The system will also influence the monsoon's arrival in Kolkata and the rest of S Bengal.

Kolkata Municipal Corporation drainage dept officials said they were on alert to combat waterlogging in the event of heavy rainfall. Executive engineers of all major drainage pumping stations, including Palmerbazar, Ballygunge, Dhapa Lock, Mominpore, Ultadanga and Southern Avenue, have been asked to keep all major pumps operational to flush out storm water. A disaster management team will be stationed at the headquarters.

Before the heavy pre-monsoon showers, scattered light rain and a partly cloudy sky will continue to shield the city from the harsh heat. "We can expect heavy rain between Wednesday and Friday in many parts of south Bengal. For Kolkata, the heavy rain alert is for Thursday," said RMC Kolkata meteorologist Sourish Bandopadhyay.

In Met parlance, heavy rain means 7 to 11 cm of showers.

A day after south-west monsoon hit Kerala, it further advanced into some more parts of west-central and north Bay of Bengal, and some more parts of Mizoram and Manipur by Sunday. "Conditions are favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into some more parts of west-central and north Bay of Bengal and some more parts of NE states in three days," said an IMD bulletin.

Maximum temperature at 32.1°C on Sunday was 3.3 notches below normal mark. The minimum at 27.2°C, however, was slightly above normal.

(Inputs from Saikat Ray)