Monsoon missing Bengal’s date with rain? IMD says wait 4-5 more days

Kolkata: The southwest monsoon's arrival in West Bengal has been delayed, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) indicating that North Bengal is unlikely to receive the seasonal rains on its usual schedule.

Under normal circumstances, the monsoon is expected to enter Jalpaiguri and adjoining parts of North Bengal around this time.

However, despite the delay in its official onset, several districts in the region have already been witnessing heavy pre-monsoon rainfall over the past few days. The continuous rain has also affected neighbouring Sikkim.

The weather department said there is currently little chance of the monsoon reaching South Bengal immediately, though scattered thunderstorms and rain are expected to continue across the state.

The southwest monsoon has already advanced into parts of Northeast India, including Manipur and Mizoram.

After covering Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, it has further progressed into Goa, Maharashtra and parts of Andhra Pradesh.

According to the IMD, conditions are gradually becoming favourable for the monsoon's advance towards Bengal.

The weather office has forecast that the monsoon is likely to enter Sikkim and North Bengal within the next four to five days. It is also expected to advance into Odisha and Chhattisgarh during the same period.

Heavy rain warning for North Bengal

The IMD has predicted thunderstorms and rainfall across all districts of North Bengal until Friday. Light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph is likely in several areas.

Heavy rainfall warnings have been issued for Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar.

On Monday, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri could receive very heavy rainfall, while Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Cooch Behar are also likely to witness heavy showers.

The weather office has further warned of isolated heavy rainfall in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar through Thursday.

On Friday, Malda, North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur have also been added to the heavy rain alert list.

South Bengal to see scattered storms

South Bengal is also expected to experience scattered thunderstorms and rainfall across all districts.

However, the weather department said there is unlikely to be any major relief from the prevailing heat, with temperatures expected to remain largely unchanged over the next seven days.

Districts including Birbhum, Murshidabad, Nadia, East Bardhaman and West Bardhaman are likely to witness stronger thunderstorm activity initially.

From Wednesday onwards, the possibility of rain and thunderstorms is expected to increase across all districts of South Bengal.