Kolkata Hit by Repeated Rain as Orange Alert Covers South Bengal

Kolkata saw waterlogging as repeated Wednesday rain triggered an orange alert across Howrah, Hooghly and South 24 Parganas, with heavy rain forecast through the week.

Rain returned to Kolkata on Wednesday morning, falling in repeated bursts across the city and leaving several roads under water. The downpour came a day after Tuesday's rain had already flooded parts of the city, and conditions on Wednesday showed little sign of easing.

The weather department's bulletin warned that Kolkata could see moderate to heavy rain over the following few hours. An orange alert for heavy rain was issued not only for the city but also for the neighbouring districts of Hooghly, South 24 Parganas and Howrah. A separate warning of light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning was issued for Purba Bardhaman.

Forecasters said rain would continue across every district of South Bengal. The wet spell is being driven by a deep depression that stretches over Gangetic West Bengal and the adjoining coastal areas of Odisha, Jharkhand and northeastern Madhya Pradesh.

Heavy rain forecast through Thursday

Thursday is expected to bring rain to all districts of South Bengal, with a yellow alert in place. The heaviest falls are likely in Hooghly, Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman and Birbhum, where very heavy rain is possible. Kolkata, Howrah, North and South 24 Parganas, Nadia and Murshidabad have been given a heavy rain forecast for the same day.

Some relief is expected from Friday, though scattered showers are likely to persist across the southern districts even as the overall situation improves.

The weather system is forecast to weaken over the next 12 hours, turning from a deep depression into a depression. It is then expected to move towards south Uttar Pradesh and north Madhya Pradesh, gradually shifting the worst of the weather away from the state.

North Bengal braces for very heavy rain

Conditions are set to remain severe in North Bengal, where a heavy rain alert has been issued for every district over the coming days. Very heavy rain has been forecast for Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar on Thursday.

Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar are expected to see heavy rain for the next three days before conditions begin to improve. The sustained rainfall across the hills and plains of the north has raised concern alongside the flooding already reported in the south.

The continuous rain has had knock-on effects beyond the state's own skies. The Damodar Valley Corporation has begun releasing water from the Panchet and Maithon reservoirs, a step prompted by relentless rain in Jharkhand and Bihar that has fed the catchment feeding both dams.

With heavy rain warnings covering both halves of West Bengal and reservoirs already discharging water, authorities and residents alike are watching how long the disruption will last. For now, the forecasts point to little immediate respite before the weather system moves out of the region later in the week.

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