Monsoon likely to advance into Gangetic West Bengal by Friday

The much-awaited southwest monsoon is likely to advance into parts of Gangetic West Bengal bringing down high day and night temperatures and humidity in the region and also into the entire sub-Himalayan West Bengal within a day, the Met department said on Thursday.

Widespread thundershowers with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall are likely in the sub-Himalayan districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, and Alipurduar during the next five days owing to strong southwesterly winds from the Bay of Bengal, the weatherman said.

The southwest monsoon is likely to advance into parts of Gangetic West Bengal and in all the northern districts of the state by Friday, the Met said.

It is said that rainfall is likely to increase gradually in the south Bengal districts with the possibility of isolated heavy downpours on Friday and Saturday in the region.

Purulia recorded 30 mm rainfall in 24 hours till 8.30 am on Thursday as other parts of Gangetic West Bengal largely remained dry, the Met said.

Day and night temperatures were appreciably below normal in the northern districts owing to cloudy conditions and isolated rain, it said.

The weatherman forecast thunderstorms in some areas of Kolkata on Thursday with day temperatures likely to hover around 33 degrees Celsius.