During Durga Puja, rains expected in Bengal, says IMD

New Delhi, Oct 17: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that rain is expected in Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal during Durga Puja, the region's biggest festival that starts from next week.

"Light to moderate [rain] is expected over Kolkata and other parts of South Bengal till October 20. The rainfall may increase from October 21. Probability of rain is more between October 22 and 24," said an official at IMD's Regional Weather Forecasting Centre in Kolkata.

Durga Puja will be celebrated from October 23 to October 26. But the festivities and pandal hopping are expected to start on October 19.

"A low pressure is likely to form over the Bay of Bengal around October 19. It could intensify thereafter. The system is expected to move towards Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. Moisture-laden winds from the sea will gush because of this, triggering rain," said the official quoted above.

October and November are part of the post-monsoon cyclone period and such systems often develop over the sea around this time. Some of the systems intensify into cyclones. Cyclone Bulbul, which killed scores of people, hit West Bengal in November 2019.

The monsoon withdrawal from West Bengal is also likely to get delayed because of the low-pressure system.