Heavy rain partially affects normal life in West Bengal

Kolkata: Heavy rain partially affected normal life in several places of West Bengal as the Met office on Thursday forecast heavy downpour in the sub-Himalayan districts of the state till Friday.

Fairly widespread rain is likely over many places in West Bengal during the next three days and scattered to fairly widespread rain during the subsequent four days, it said in a forecast.

The Met warned of very heavy rain with extremely heavy downpour at one or two places in the sub-Himalayan districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Coochbehar till Friday morning.

All the districts in south Bengal, including Kolkata, are also likely to receive heavy rain till Friday morning, it said.

Owing to moderate to heavy rain overnight, normal life was partially affected in Kolkata and several other districts of south Bengal.

School and office-goers had a tough time reaching their destination on Thursday morning owing to moderate to heavy downpour through the night.

Some streets in Kolkata and neighbouring Salt Lake were waterlogged and public transport was less than normal due to rain, which has been occurring since Wednesday morning.

Salt Lake recorded the maximum rainfall in the state in 24 hours till 8.30 am on Thursday at 109 mm, while Kolkata received 66 mm rain during the same period, the Met said.

The hills in north Bengal received significantly high rainfall during the period, with Kalimpong getting 107 mm rain and Darjeeling closely following at 103 mm, the Met data said.