Bengal Under Rain Watch as Low Pressure Persists

The monsoon is refusing to ease its grip on West Bengal, with a low-pressure area over Gangetic West Bengal and adjoining Jharkhand and North Odisha keeping the state under a weather watch on Tuesday. The system, which was located over the region on Monday morning, is continuing to influence rainfall and thunderstorm activity across Bengal. IMD has issued a thunderstorm and lightning warning for Gangetic West Bengal on August 25.

Kolkata, meanwhile, has started the morning on a sunny note, a brief contrast to the rain that affected the city on Monday. The Alipore weather office recorded 8.1 mm of rain till late Monday evening, which also kept Monday’s maximum temperature at 31.2°C. For Tuesday, the city can expect warm and humid conditions with spells of rain or thundershowers possible as the weather system continues to affect the region.

The impact is expected to extend well beyond the capital. In South Bengal, Bankura, Jhargram, East Midnapore, West Midnapore and South 24 Parganas are among the districts where heavy rainfall has been forecast, while Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas, Purulia and West Burdwan could receive light to moderate rain. North Bengal is also on the radar, with heavy rain likely in Darjeeling, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri, while Cooch Behar, Malda and the Dinajpur districts may also see rainfall.

The active system is also keeping conditions over the Bay of Bengal unsettled, with scattered rain and thundershowers and locally rough seas reported in parts of the basin. Fishermen have been advised to avoid venturing into the deep sea. For Bengal, the immediate picture is therefore one of active monsoon weather rather than a uniform rain spell. Conditions can vary sharply between districts, while Kolkata’s sunny morning remains no guarantee of a dry day ahead.