Heavy rains to lash Bengal

Kolkata, July 30: Heavy rain may occur at isolated places in West Bengal, with the depression formed over the Bay of Bengal intensifying into a cyclone, the met department said on Thursday.

"The depression over Bay of Bengal, which moved northwestwards during the last nine hours, has intensified into a cyclonic storm 'Komen' and lay centred at about 300 km in the east-southeast of Kolkata," the met department said.

"The system would cross Bangladesh coast by afternoon today (Thursday). The cyclonic storm, after its landfall, would move west-northwestwards and weaken gradually."

The Met Office said as a result of the cyclonic storm, heavy rain (724 cm) may occur at isolated places in West Bengal over the next 72 hours.

Heavy rains have also been predicted at isolated places in Bihar, and Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts of sub-Himalayan West Bengal.

Fishermen have been warned not to venture close to the West Bengal coast and the Andaman and Nicobar coast in the next 72 hours.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee cut short her Britain visit in the wake of the cyclone.

"Receiving feedback on cyclone preparedness as we wait for our flight in Delhi to Kolkata. We pre-poned our trip because of situation," Banerjee said on Twitter during the day.

At least 10 people were injured and over 400 houses damaged due to storms raging across the districts of North 24 Parganas, Howrah and Nadia on Wednesday.