Rainy start to August, Kolkata may get more spells today
Times of India | 2 August 2024
A waterlogged service road stretch along VIP Road on Thursday KOLKATA: While July, the rainiest month of monsoon ended with a splash, the beginning of Aug, the second rainiest month, began on a wet note as well. Multiple spells of rain throughout Thursday not only indicated normal rain count for the month, the intermittent showers and the gloomy sky also pulled the mercury below the normal mark.
A combination of three systems - the monsoon trough currently passing through parts of Bengal, a cyclonic circulation over Gangetic West Bengal and a trough from the cyclonic circulation - have been triggering widespread rain in Kolkata and other Bengal districts since Wednesday.On Thursday, the Met office recorded36.6 mm of rain between Wednesday and Thursday evening, of which 30.3 mm was recorded on Thursday alone.
"We expect a few more intense spells till the first half of Friday. While Kolkata will continue to get rain thereafter, the intensity and frequency will go down from Friday," said H R Biswas, head of the weather section at Regional Meteorological Centre Kolkata.
Biswas said that while the monsoon trough will continue to run over parts of Bengal, bringing more rain, the cyclonic circulation will move away gradually towards neighbouring Jharkhand and then UP. Once this system shifts away from the region, the rain intensity and duration will become lesser.
Ballygunge draining pumping station maintained by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation received 35 mm of rain during the day followed by 33 mm in Belgachhia and 30 mm in different places, including Maniktala, Ultadanga and Chingrighata.
The incessant showers and the cloudy sky pulled the maximum temperature down significantly. At 28.3 degrees Celsius, it was 4.2 notches below the normal mark. At 26.6 degrees Celsius, the minimum temperature was slightly above normal. With the intensity of rain going down, the mercury is likely to rise a bit from Friday, but it will not shoot above the normal mark.
Kolkata is expected to get a monthly rainfall of 364 mm in Aug under normal conditions. While Aug, in past three consecutive years, has witnessed rain shortage, the Met office expects normal rain this year. "The broad prediction for the remaining monsoon months of Aug and Sept for Bengal overall is normal or near normal," added Biswas.