Showers threaten to spoil festive mood
The Statesman | 21 September 2025The Alipore Meteorological Department on Friday said thunderstorms with scattered showers are expected in at least eight districts of south Bengal on Sunday, coinciding with Mahalaya. The affected districts may include South 24-Parganas, East and West Midnapore, Purulia, Bankura, West Burdwan, Birbhum and Murshidabad. Intermittent rain is likely to continue through the weekend.
Kolkata, which has so far escaped major weather alerts, may see light showers on Mahalaya. But forecasters cautioned that the city could receive scattered thunderstorms the following day, with gusty winds reaching 30 to 40 kilometres per hour across South Bengal. In North Bengal, where the rain has been heavier in recent weeks, the intensity is expected to ease after Saturday. Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts are under warning for heavy showers Friday, while Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Cooch Behar and Malda may face spells of rain Saturday. From Sunday onward, no major weather alerts have been issued for the region. Meteorologists said the wet spell has been triggered by a cyclonic circulation that recently formed over the Bay of Bengal and has now shifted toward eastern Bihar and adjoining areas.
Sitting about 1.5 km above sea level, the system continues to draw moisture inland, fuelling rains across the state.
The showers come as markets and pandals brim with the buzz of Puja preparations. For many, the drizzle adds a nostalgic touch to the season. “We are used to battling the rain before the Puja,” said Sushmita Dutta, a shopper in north Kolkata. “Umbrella in one hand, shopping bags in the other — this is part of the Mahalaya charm.”
On Friday, Kolkata recorded a minimum temperature of 28.6 degrees Celsius, about 2.3 degrees above normal. The maximum temperature on Thursday stood at 33.8 degrees Celsius, a degree higher than usual.
For now, Bengal’s Puja spirit remains undeterred — even if the goddess is welcomed under cloudy skies.
