Kolkata back to normal, deep depression moves westwards

A day after torrential rain that battered the city, the deep depression that had triggered it moved to the western part of West Bengal today and Kolkata sprang back to normal life.

The rain in the city, that had hit flights, trains and road transportation yesterday, relented since last night.

With the depression moving to the western districts heavy rain lashed them since early this morning.

The weatherman said the depression over Jharkhand and adjoining West Bengal has moved northwards and lies centred 50 km northeast of Dhanbad.

The system is very likely to continue to move northwards and weaken into a well-marked low pressure area, the Met department said.
 

Asansol town in West Burdwan district was the most affected today, recording 95.5 mm precipitation in nine hours till 5.30 PM, it said.

Asansol, Raniganj and Durgapur experienced heavy rain and squally winds, which have led to many trees being uprooted and waterlogging at some places.

People who ventured out of their homes had a tough time as road transportation was hit. Students had a holiday.

Train services were also disrupted as railway tracks were submerged and tree branches broke and fell on overhead wires.

"Due to heavy rain and strong wind in Panagarh-Asansol-Sitarampur section of Eastern Railways Asansol Division, train services in the section were affected today," Eastern Railway spokesman R N Mahapatra said.

Owing to the inclement weather up and down Asansol-Tata Express, Andal-Jasidih Passenger and Jasidih-Banka Passenger had to be cancelled and some mail/express trains were delayed enroute, he said.

The depression will cause heavy rain and strong wind in Purulia, West Burdwan, Birbhum, Murshidabad, Malda and parts of Jharkhand and Bihar till tomorrow, Regional Met director G K Das said.

Squally wind speed reaching upto 3040 kmph and gusting to 50 km per hour is very likely to prevail over northern parts of Gangetic West Bengal, eastern and central Bihar, northeastern parts of Jharkhand and subHimalayan West Bengal till late in the evening and decrease thereafter, he added.