Kolkata, on Friday morning, experienced its first proper monsoon spell of the season. The morning rain triggered waterlogging, traffic snarls and disruptions to daily commute in several areas.
According to the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) midday bulletin, Kolkata recorded 48.3mm of rainfall between 11.30am on June 18 and 11.30am on June 19, with the bulk of it pouring down after 8.30am on Friday.
The showers began on Thursday night and intensified through Friday morning. Although it offered respite from the heat, it brought parts of the city to a crawl. Areas including Salt Lake Sector V, Behala and Esplanade reported waterlogging during office hours, slowing traffic and prolonging travel times for commuters.
The rain marks the first widespread and sustained monsoon spell in Kolkata this season after the southwest monsoon reportedly made a weak entry into the city earlier this week, one of the driest monsoon onsets in recent years.
According to the IMD, Kolkata and neighbouring districts remained under an orange alert on Friday. The weather office forecasts light to moderate thunderstorms accompanied by intense rain and gusty winds reaching speeds of 30-40kmph over parts of Hooghly, East Burdwan, Kolkata, Howrah, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas. The warning also highlighted the possibility of lightning strikes and waterlogging in low-lying areas.
“It took me more than two hours to reach Salt Lake Sector V from Mudiali this morning. Usually it takes an hour and a half even if it is congested,” said Aryani Banerjee, a communication professional.
In its latest forecast, the IMD said Kolkata would continue to witness a generally cloudy sky with a few spells of light to moderate rain or thundershowers over the next 24 hours. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to remain around 29˚C and 24˚C respectively.
“It is good that it’s finally raining in Kolkata but the traffic scare is real. Especially for people travelling for work to central Kolkata since Red Road is closed,” said Swarna Dutta, a sales professional who works in Dalhousie.
Commuters faced further inconvenience after a Metro Railway disruption during the morning rush.
At 10.37am, smoke was observed from a coach of an Up train at Rabindra Sarobar station on Blue Line. Passengers were deboarded as a precautionary measure while the rake underwent an internal examination. Metro authorities later said services had returned to normal.
The IMD has advised people to remain indoors during thunderstorm activity and avoid open fields, isolated trees and water bodies.