While flood waters have receded from some parts of the city, pockets like Amherst Street are still under water. (Express photo by Partha Paul)
Kolkata is slowly returning to normalcy, a day after heavy overnight rainfall caused widespread flooding, claiming the lives of at least 11 people and disrupting daily life.
However, the wet spell is expected to continue for the rest of the week. A new low-pressure area is predicted to form over the Bay of Bengal around September 25 (Thursday) and intensify into a depression by September 26 (Friday), which could bring more rain to the region, the IMD said.
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While streets, railway tracks, and Metro lines were inundated, city authorities have begun efforts to pump out water from low-lying areas. Several pockets of Salt Lake and parts of North and Central Kolkata remain waterlogged.
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
Kolkata Record Rainfall Crisis - September 2025
Sept 22
Weather Alert
Low-pressure system forms over Bay of Bengal, IMD issues early warnings for heavy rainfall
Meteorological conditions indicate potential for extreme weather event
Verified: IMD Official Reports
Sept 23 AM
Rainfall Begins
Intense rainfall begins across Kolkata metropolitan area with increasing intensity
Multiple weather stations record significant precipitation from early morning
Verified: Local Weather Stations
Sept 23, 3 PM
Peak Crisis
Peak intensity recorded - 98mm rainfall in single hour, causing immediate flooding
Festival preparations severely affected, Durga Puja pandals damaged across city
Verified: State Government & Insurance Reports
Indian Express InfoGenIE
The IMD has also ruled out heavy rainfall until Thursday, instead forecasting mostly cloudy skies with light to moderate showers, accompanied by thunder and gusty winds in some places.
A yellow alert has been issued for a number of districts in South Bengal, including Howrah, Hooghly, North and South 24 Paraganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Purulia, Bankura, Purba and Paschim Bardhaman, Birbhum, Murshidabad, and Nadia, until September 29. Light to moderate rain and thundershowers are very likely in many of these areas till September 30, the weathermen said.
According to the IMD, Tuesday’s downpour, which measured 251.4 mm in 24 hours, was the city’s third-highest single-day rainfall in the month of September and its sixth-highest ever recorded. The city narrowly avoided a cloudburst, with the highest hourly rainfall reaching 98 mm, just shy of the 100 mm threshold.
A warning for the fishermen has been issued along the West Bengal-Odisha coast and in North Bay of Bengal areas for the next five days, from September 24 to 28. Squally weather with wind speeds exceeding 45 kmph is expected, making sea conditions rough, the IMD said, adding, “Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea during this period.”
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Additionally, a swell surge alert warns of waves with heights of 1 to 1.1 metre, urging boats to exercise extreme caution. In North Bengal, a yellow alert for thunderstorms with gusty winds (30-40 kmph) and lightning has been issued for Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Uttar Dinajpur, and Malda for the next two days.
Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics.
With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences.
Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More
