System weakens but expect heavy rain spells in Kolkata: Met – Times of India

KOLKATA: As cyclone Gulab headed towards north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts between Kalingapatnam and Gopalpur, threatening to hit land around midnight on Sunday, Kolkata and south Bengal remained unaffected by it. The city, however, is set to receive moderate to heavy rain between Tuesday and Wednesday.
Weathermen have sounded a rain alert for Kolkata triggered by a cyclonic circulation that will emerge over northeast and east central Bay of Bengal on Monday. It had been predicted to intensify into a low pressure over the subsequent 24 hours, but has now turned weaker. “The system, however, has been diluted and may not intensify into a low pressure now. It will head northwestwards and could reach the Bengal coast on Wednesday, causing moderate to heavy showers across Kolkata and Gangetic Bengal,” said Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) director G K Das.
He said that depending on the pace of movement, the system could start having an effect on south Bengal and Kolkata on Tuesday.
“We expect moderate to heavy rain either on Tuesday or Wednesday, including an intense spell. Subsequently, the circulation will lose sting and pass away, but light to moderate monsoon rain will continue,” said Das.
The city received spells of light rain on Sunday, but they were unrelated to the approaching cyclone, said the Met office. “Local thunderstorms have been striking Kolkata and its neighbouring districts over the last few days and Sunday was no exception,” said an official.
Gulab was likely to have a landfall with a wind speed of 75kmph-85kmph, gusting up to 95kmph. The Met office sounded a rain alert for East Midnapore and South 24 Parganas under its impact on Monday. On Tuesday, however, heavy rain has been forecast in Kolkata and south Bengal districts as the cyclonic circulation will hit the coast and approach the city.
Squally winds reaching a speed of 30kmph-40kmph have been predicted along the Bengal coast, including in East Midnapore, South 24 Parganas, Jhargram, Howrah, Hooghly and Kolkata. Even if the circulation loses steam, Kolkata may still receive 70mm-110mm rain between Tuesday and Wednesday.