Heavy rain warning for West Bengal during Durga Puja

New Delhi, Oct 22: Widespread and heavy rainfall is likely to impact the ongoing Durga Puja celebrations in West Bengal and neighbouring Odisha.

A well-marked low-pressure area has formed over the west-central Bay of Bengal on Wednesday. It is likely to move north-westwards on Thursday. The low-pressure area will move north-eastwards towards West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts across north-west Bay of Bengal off Odisha coast during the next 48 hours.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the low-pressure area is likely to intensify into a depression by Thursday, and into a deep depression the following day.

Widespread and heavy rainfall, measuring between 64.5 and 115.5 millimetres (mm) per day, is likely over Andhra Pradesh (AP) and Gangetic West Bengal (115.6-204.4 mm per day) on Thursday. A similar weather condition is likely to occur over north-east India because of the low-pressure. Extremely heavy rainfall, measuring over 204.4 mm per day, is also likely over Tripura and Mizoram on Thursday and over Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura on Friday.

Fishermen are advised not to venture into west-central Bay of Bengal and along and off Andhra Pradesh coast until Thursday, into the North Bay of Bengal and along and off Odisha-West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts until Saturday (October 24) evening.