Heavy downpour to hit West Bengal in the next 48 hours
The deep depression is set to continue for the next 48 hours resulting in heavy rain in isolated places in Kolkata and its surroundings.
A large part of districts in south Bengal will receive heavy to very heavy rainfall in the next 48 hours following a deep depression formed over the Bay of Bengal, regional Met office said on Friday.
"The deep depression will continue for the next 48 hours resulting in heavy rain in isolated places in Kolkata and its surroundings. It will cover a large portion of the Gangetic West Bengal in districts like Nadia, Murshidabad, Kolkata and its twin Howrah district, East Midnapore and West Midnapore as well, besides neighbouring Odisha and Jharkhand," the weather official said.
He said the rainfall would take place owing to depression that has formed over Bay of Bengal, West Bengal and the adjoining areas of Bangladesh coast. It intensified into a deep depression. Heavy to very heavy rain may occur at isolated places of Purulia, Bankura, Birbhum, Burdwan, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas districts too.
"Heavy to extremely heavy rains are expected to lash Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha," he added.
The officials said that the cyclonic storm Komen which already made a landfall at Bangladesh coast has now weakened considerably and is currently a deep depression only. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also held a high-level meeting on Friday afternoon to take stock of the flood-like situation in south Bengal. Besides West Bengal and Odisha, Jharkhand, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura and parts of Assam are also expected to witness substantial downpour.
Flood threat is looming on many West Bengal districts like Birbhum and Murshidabad. Several areas of Luvpur and Suri Sadar block in Birbhum, and Kandi and Jangipur subdivisions of Murshidabad are witnessing a flood-like situation.
"Three blocks namely Kandi, Nabagram and Kargram are facing flood-like situation in Murshidabad. The water level is flowing at extreme danger level now. We have opened relief camps across all the vulnerable points. The district administration has sounded alert as well," said Murshidabad district magistrate Rajiv Kumar.