Kolkata records third wettest September day since 1978

Cloudburst-like situation affects Kolkata during the wee hours of Tuesday.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) attributed this heavy spell to a slow-moving low pressure system that had formed on Monday. (Express photo)

Kolkata and neighbourhood Tuesday woke up to the third wettest September day since 1978, recording 251.4mm in 24 hours.

The most heavy spell was recorded between 2.30am – 5am, when West Bengal’s capital recorded close to 185mm. The city narrowly missed from being hit by a cloudburst (100mm in one hour) during the wee hours on Tuesday. Multiple favourable weather factors locally led to short but intense spell.

The intense overnight rainfall killed atleast nine people, mostly due to electrocution. The heavy downpour left roads heavily inundated along localities like Lake Market, Rashbehari, Thanthania and Patuli.

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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) attributed this heavy spell to a slow-moving low pressure system that had formed on Monday.

” This system moved across West Bengal and Odisha during early hours of Tuesday. Later, it moved slowly over coastal areas of the Gangetic West Bengal and north Odisha,” the IMD said.

Under its influence, there was strong moisture and wind convergence over Kolkata and neighbourhood areas. That is, moisture-landen winds from the Bay of Bengal got pulled landwards which then interacted with the low pressure, thereby causing short but intense spell over Kolkata during early hours of Tuesday.

Four of the wettest September days over Kolkata were recorded post 2000.

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The Met department has warned of continuing rainfall over Odisha till September 26 but over West Bengal, and Kolkata, in particular, the rainfall may take a break for now and possibly not dampen the upcoming Durga Puja festivities.

This monsoon, there have been multiple incidents of cloudbursts affecting Uttarakhand. The latest being reported on August 31, when Chennai, another Indian metro city, recorded 270mm in 24 hours.

24-hour rainfall over Kolkata (Alipore observatory) during September

Source: IMD

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