Rain pounds Gangetic West Bengal, more downpour to follow

Heavy rain lashed parts of Gangetic West Bengal throughout the day today as the Met department forecast more downpour till tomorrow in the wake of a depression, raising the possibility of a flood-like situation in the coastal districts.
The depression was currently centred over north Odisha and Jharkhand and was very likely to move northnortheastwards towards the West Bengal coast and then on to Bangladesh, Regional Met Director G K Das said.
As the system was likely to move closer to the coast, the moisture incursion would continue and hence, the system was very likely to maintain its intensity till tomorrow, he added.

It was very likely to weaken gradually into a well-marked low pressure area thereafter, Das said.
As an effect of the depression, the metropolis and most places in the coastal districts of the state witnessed moderate to heavy rain throughout the day.
The state government was keeping a close eye on the situation, Irrigation Minister Rajib Banerjee said.

"We have set up control rooms in all the districts of south Bengal, which are affected by the depression, and are monitoring the situation on a real time basis," he added.
The minister said the Sub-Himalayan districts of the state, which might also be affected by the depression, were under watch.

The Met department forecast heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places over the districts of Gangetic West Bengal and Malda, North and South Dinajpur districts of Sub-Himalayan West Bengal till tomorrow morning.
It also warned of squally winds with speed reaching 45-55 kmph, gusting to 65 kmph, along and off the West Bengal coast till late tonight, which was likely to reduce to 30-40 kmph, gusting to 50 kmph, tomorrow.
Stating that the sea conditions would be rough to very rough along and off the coast till the evening and rough thereafter till the morning, the department advised the fishermen not to venture into the sea.

The city recorded 67 mm of rainfall between 8.30 am yesterday and 5.30 pm today.
Educational institutions in the city remained shut, owing to continuous rain throughout the night, which left some arterial roads and low-lying areas waterlogged.
Officegoers too had a tough time with fewer public transports on the roads.