Monsoon Update: IMD Issues Orange Alert for North Bengal, Heavy to Very Heavy Rains Likely to July 7

From July 2 to July 7, parts of North Bengal will be hit by heavy rains accompanied by thunder and lightning, according to the weather bureau.

Kolkata: Heavy to very heavy rainfall, accompanied by lightning and thunderstorms, is expected to ravage parts of North Bengal over the next five days. The Meteorological Department of India (IMD) has also issued an orange alert for several districts likely to bear the brunt of the upcoming bad weather.

From July 2 to July 7, parts of North Bengal will be hit by heavy rains accompanied by thunder and lightning, according to the weather bureau.

According to an IMD bulletin, a cyclone formation over the Sub-Himalayan region of West Bengal and Sikkim at an altitude of 3.1 km above mean sea level combined with a strong influx of moisture from the Bay of Bengal will result in heavy rains, thunderstorms and lightning in the various districts of North Bengal in the next five days.

The weather department has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall along with thunderstorms and lightning are likely to ravage the Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Coochbehar, Darjeeling and Alipurduar districts of Bengal while other districts in the region are also expected to receive quite a bit of rain to get.

Heavy to very heavy rain is expected in Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts from July 2 to July 7, while heavy rains are forecast in North Dinajpur district from July 5, according to an orange alert issued by the weather bureau. -7.

Early monsoon

Meanwhile, the IMD said on Sunday that the southwest monsoon has blanketed the entire country six days ahead of its normal date, advancing in the remaining parts of Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana.

The IMD had said on Friday that the monsoon is expected to be normal in July across the country except parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh and southern Bihar.

The weather bureau said the monsoon covered the entire country on Sunday, going against its normal date of July 8.

As many as 16 states and Union territories received too little rainfall in June, with Bihar and Kerala reporting major deficits of 69 percent and 60 percent below normal, respectively.

Some other states such as Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana also received less rainfall than usual in June, the first month of the southwest monsoon season.

“Monthly rainfall averaged across the country as a whole in July 2023 is most likely normal (94 to 106 percent of LPA) and most likely within the positive side of normal,” IMD director general Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said on Friday. .

(with PTI inputs)