Light to moderate rainfall at most places with scattered heavy to very heavy and isolated extremely heavy rainfall is very likely over several districts of south Bengal in the next 48 hours, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The warning comes in the wake of a well-marked low-pressure area that formed over Gangetic West Bengal and adjoining southwest Bangladesh.

Tuesday’s low-pressure system moved west-northwestwards and as of 5:30 am on Wednesday, and is over Gangetic West Bengal.

The associated upper air cyclonic circulation, extending up to 7.6 km above mean sea level and tilting southwards with height, continues to persist.

The system is expected to move slowly northwestwards across Jharkhand during the next 24 hours.

June 19

Heavy to very heavy rainfall (7-20 cm) is likely at one or two places over Purulia, Bankura, West Burdwan, Jhargram, and West Medinipur.

Heavy rain (7-11 cm) is expected at isolated places over East Burdwan, East Medinipur, Birbhum and South 24 Parganas.

Thunderstorms with gusty winds and lightning will likely continue across all districts.

For north Bengal, the same weather pattern is expected to persist with heavy rain at one or two places over Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and North Dinajpur districts.

For south Bengal, there will be no warnings for June 20 to June 22, indicating a temporary lull in rainfall activity.

There is also a possibility of lightning strikes in open areas and potential landslides in the hilly terrains of Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts.