A developing cyclonic circulation over Bangladesh and adjoining Gangetic West Bengal is set to bring a fresh spell of rain and gusty winds across the state, with Kolkata likely to witness increased rainfall from Sunday. According to the Alipore Meteorological Department, the weather system is drawing large amounts of moisture from the Bay of Bengal, creating favourable conditions for thunderstorms and scattered showers across both North and South Bengal over the next few days.
The weather disturbance currently sits about 1.5 kilometres above sea level and is accompanied by an elongated trough. Meteorologists say this setup is allowing moisture-laden winds to flow into the region, increasing the chances of thunderstorms and light to moderate rainfall across several districts.
Kolkata experienced brief spells of rain in some areas on Thursday evening, offering a preview of the unsettled weather expected ahead. The Met office has forecast thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds in Kolkata on Sunday and Monday. Wind speeds during storms may reach 30–40 km per hour.
Neighbouring districts including Howrah, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas and Jhargram are also likely to experience similar conditions. In South 24 Parganas, East Midnapore and West Midnapore, scattered rainfall may continue until Tuesday.
In other districts of South Bengal such as Nadia and Murshidabad, stronger winds are expected during storm activity, potentially reaching speeds of 40–50 km per hour.
Temperature patterns in South Bengal are expected to remain relatively stable during the coming week. Night temperatures are unlikely to see any significant change, while daytime temperatures may rise by two to three degrees over the next two days before dropping slightly later due to rain activity.
North Bengal is also bracing for turbulent weather. The India Meteorological Department has predicted heavy rainfall ranging between 7 and 11 centimetres in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar on Friday. Thunderstorms and showers are likely to persist across Darjeeling, Cooch Behar and neighbouring districts until Tuesday, with wind speeds also reaching 40–50 km per hour in places.
While nighttime temperatures in North Bengal are expected to remain largely unchanged, maximum temperatures may dip slightly over the next few days because of persistent cloud cover and rainfall.
On Friday, Kolkata recorded a minimum temperature of 26.2°C, which is 3.6 degrees above normal for this time of year. The city’s maximum temperature on Thursday stood at 31°C, about 2.6 degrees below the seasonal average.
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