The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday issued an orange alert for several north Bengal districts, warning of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms over the next 24 hours as the remnant of severe cyclonic storm ‘Montha’ moved north-northeastward over Jharkhand towards Bihar.
The weather system, which battered Andhra Pradesh earlier this week, is expected to gradually weaken into a low-pressure area by Friday night.
A Met department spokesperson said “thunderstorms accompanied with intense rain are very likely to affect parts of Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong and Darjeeling districts”.
A yellow alert — meaning “keep watch and be aware” — has also been issued for Uttar Dinajpur district.
The IMD said the “well-marked low pressure area [remnant of severe cyclonic storm ‘Montha’] over north Chhattisgarh and neighbourhood moved north-northeastward during the past six hours and lay over northwest Jharkhand and neighbourhood at 8:30 am IST on October 31.”
It is likely to continue moving towards Bihar and weaken into a low-pressure area within the next 12 hours.
While north Bengal districts brace for intense rain, south Bengal — including Kolkata — experienced light to moderate rainfall, with the city recording 27.8 mm rain in 24 hours from 8:30 pm on October 29. The IMD has forecast light rain in parts of Gangetic West Bengal over the next 24 hours.
For north Bengal, moderate to heavy rainfall is expected at most places on Friday, with heavy rain (7–11 cm) likely at one or two locations in Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar on Saturday. Conditions are expected to gradually improve from November 3 onwards, with mainly dry weather predicted till November 6.
The department warned of potential “water logging, flash floods in low-lying areas, landslides in hilly districts like Darjeeling and Kalimpong, rise in river levels in Teesta, Torsa, Raidak and Jaldhaka, and possible damage to kutcha houses and standing crops.”
Authorities have advised residents to avoid landslide-prone areas and waterlogged zones, regulate traffic movement, and take shelter in safe locations during intense spells of rain.
Tourism activities in the hills have also been recommended to be “regulated judiciously.”
In south Bengal, light to moderate rain or thundershowers are likely in several districts including Birbhum, Murshidabad, Nadia, East and West Burdwan, and Kolkata till Saturday. The Met office warned of “thunderstorms with gusty winds of 30–50 kmph and lightning at one or two places” in these regions.
At least three persons were killed and five others injured when a vehicle rolled into a ditch on the Darjeeling–Kurseong road on Thursday night amid rain and slippery conditions.
A senior police officer said, “The accident occurred when the driver failed to negotiate a sharp bend. While two persons died on the spot, another succumbed later. The injured are undergoing treatment at a hospital.”
A probe has been launched to ascertain the cause of the accident, the officer added.