Brace for heavy rain: IMD issues red alert, waterlogging warnings for South Bengal

A low-pressure system is set to form off the West Bengal-Bangladesh coast, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warning of extremely heavy rainfall in parts of South Bengal. The system is expected to move northwestwards over the next two days, bringing heavy to extremely heavy rainfall of 7-20 cm, with isolated areas receiving over 20 cm.

South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore districts are under the most severe red alert, while West Midnapore and Bankura districts may face the same threat by Thursday. Kolkata and neighboring districts face an orange alert, with cloudy skies and intermittent rain expected. The city has received minimal rainfall recently, but the system is already causing thunderstorms and intense downpours in various parts of the state.

North Bengal will experience less intense rains, with yellow and orange alerts issued for several districts. The weather poses risks of waterlogging, damage to crops, and potential damage to low-lying infrastructure. Fishermen are cautioned against sailing between August 12-15 due to strong winds and rough seas.