Dry Weather for Rest of Durga Puja in South Bengal, Says IMD Kolkata
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Kolkata and the districts of south Bengal are likely to stay mainly dry for the rest of Durga Puja, the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Kolkata has said. Its special bulletin forecast mainly dry weather over south Bengal from October 18 to 22, and the met office expects mainly clear skies from Saptami through Ekadashi, PTI reported.
Warm, Humid Evenings for Pandal Visitors
On Friday, Kolkata recorded a maximum temperature of about 32°C, slightly below normal, and a minimum of about 25°C, slightly above normal, with relative humidity between 60 and 95 per cent, PTI reported. Evenings are likely to stay warm and sticky, so visitors to crowded pandals should carry water and take breaks.
The forecast is a change from earlier in the week, when the met office had flagged light rain or thundershowers at a few places in south Bengal on October 18 and 19.
Light Showers in the Hills of North Bengal
Light rain or thundershowers are possible in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Kalimpong on October 18, after which north Bengal is also expected to dry out, according to reports. Tourists in the hills may still see passing showers and low cloud on mountain roads.
Rain Was a Factor at Chorbagan
The forecast comes after a sudden spell of rain on Saturday evening was one of the triggers of the crowd crush at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin pandal in north Kolkata, in which 19 people died, according to the initial police probe. Organisers and police have since stepped up crowd control, and a dry spell should make the remaining days of the festival easier to manage.
The RMC is expected to update its outlook through the festival. Follow IPB’s Chorbagan stampede live coverage and more in Weather Updates.
Based on the IMD Kolkata special bulletin and reporting by PTI via ThePrint and Punjab Kesari.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
