Heavy rains lash Kolkata, parts of south Bengal

Kolkata, Mar 03: Thunderclouds, aided by a trough over Gangetic West Bengal, triggered heavy showers in parts of Kolkata and several districts across south Bengal on Tuesday evening.

The thunderclouds were formed at a height of 5.8 km from the ground level, leading to heavy rains that began around 5 pm, an official of the Regional Meteorological Centre said.

The unseasonal rains, accompanied by hailstorm and heavy winds in some areas, brought traffic to a standstill in the city during the evening rush hours, inconveniencing home- bound commuters.

Parts of Bankura, Purulia, East and West Medinipur, Howrah, North and South 24 Parganas districts received heavy rains, the official said.

There was no report of any casualty in the city due to the rains, Kolkata Police sources said, adding that a tree fell in the Chingrighata area causing damage to a parked car.