Met office predicts largely dry Durga Puja in Bengal, isolated showers likely

Kolkata, Oct 17 (IANS) The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Kolkata on Saturday forecast largely dry weather across West Bengal during Durga Puja, although isolated light showers may occur in some areas.

According to the weather office, scattered rain is possible in coastal and adjoining districts of south Bengal on Saturday. However, mainly dry weather is expected from Saptami to Ekadashi, with no forecast of moderate to heavy rainfall in the state.

RMC Director Habibur Rahman Biswas said, “The monsoon has withdrawn from the country. It started returning from various states of South India under the influence of the northeast monsoon. The axis extends from the north to the northwest Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast. The axis extends over the southwest and west central Bay of Bengal also. As a result, light rain may occur in one or two places.”

On Saturday, light to moderate rain or thunderstorms are likely at a few places in South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore, while isolated light rain or thundershowers may occur elsewhere in south Bengal, the weather department has said.

In north Bengal, isolated light rain or thundershowers are possible in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Kalimpong on Saturday. Darjeeling and Kalimpong could receive similar weather on Sunday.

Kolkata is likely to see partly cloudy skies on Saturday, with the possibility of light rain or thundershowers in the afternoon. The weather office, however, expects mainly clear skies from Saptami to Ekadashi.

On Friday, Kolkata and its adjoining areas recorded a maximum temperature of 32.04 degrees Celsius, 0.2 degrees below normal, while the minimum stood at 25.06 degrees, 0.8 degrees above normal. Relative humidity ranged between 60 and 95 per cent.

–IANS

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