A sudden cyclonic wind, coupled with heavy rain, battered two villages in South 24-Parganas on Tuesday morning, leaving a trail of destruction in Gayenergheri and Kumropara villages.

Although the cyclone lasted barely five minutes, it damaged 100 houses and uprooted trees and electric poles.

The violent gust swept through an area of 2km radius around 9am and 500m away from the coastline, catching residents off guard as they went about their morning routines.

Many tiled roofs collapsed under the pressure of the wind, while tin and asbestos sheets were ripped off. Several houses suffered structural damage, with walls crumbling and trees crashing down on homes and roads. Large trees snapped overhead electric lines, causing a power outage in a wide area. Blocked roads brought traffic to a standstill.

“It was raining when the sudden blow of wind came, which rattled everything in just a few minutes. There was no forecast or alert issued by the weather authority about such a cyclonic blow,” said Arif Mondal, a resident whose roof was damaged in the storm.

The local administration and panchayat swung into action. Raidighi police reached the affected sites, while teams from the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL), civil defence, and other agencies were deployed to clear roads, remove fallen trees and restore power. “Police, WBSEDCL, and civil defence personnel will work until normalcy is restored,” said a senior official of the South 24-Parganas district administration.

Block development officer of Mathurapur block II, Mohammad Sajir Hossain, said preliminary assessments indicated damage to at least 30 houses in the two villages. “Relief materials, including dry food and tarpaulins, have already been sent,” he said.

However, local sources pegged the number of damaged houses at no less than 100.

Trinamool MLA Alok Jaldata said: “The cyclone damaged about 100 houses. We will assess the damage so that necessary help may be offered for repairs.”

The storm struck amidst continuous moderate to heavy rainfall in south Bengal, triggered by a low-pressure system. Rain had lashed South 24-Parganas through the night, and the Alipore Meteorological Department forecast further showers through the day.