2 weeks ago
Depression Soaks Calcutta; Rain Intensity to Ease from Tuesday
A big rain system called a depression came near the city of Calcutta and made it rain very hard all day on Monday.
The rain was heaviest between 11am and 1pm.
So much rain fell that some streets filled with water, and cars could only move very slowly.
Some schools let children leave later than usual because of the water.
The city had to close special gates because the river was very high, and that made the water stay on the roads longer.
In some places, more than 60mm of rain fell, which weather experts call heavy rain.
The depression is now moving away towards a place called Jharkhand.
From Tuesday, the rain is expected to get lighter in Calcutta.
Some other parts of the state may still get heavy rain.
The sky will stay cloudy, and there could be a thunderstorm if it gets hot.
A depression triggered heavy rain across Calcutta on Monday and is moving towards Jharkhand, the Met office said.
Shower intensity is expected to decrease from Tuesday, with heavy rain likely only in western districts of south Bengal.
Rain gauges recorded 44mm in Alipore, 63mm in Salt Lake, 57mm at Minto Park and around 68mm in New Town.
Several roads were waterlogged and school dispersal was delayed; sluice gates were shut due to high tide in the Hooghly between 1.30pm and 6.30pm.
Traffic crawled across the city, with some commutes taking about twice as long as usual.
- Who
- Residents of Calcutta (Kolkata) and surrounding areas in West Bengal, with Met office officials and Kolkata Municipal Corporation staff responding.
- What
- A depression triggered heavy rain, causing waterlogging, traffic delays and late school dispersal across the city.
- Where
- Calcutta (Kolkata), West Bengal, India; the system is moving towards Jharkhand.
- When
- Monday, with rainfall intensity expected to ease from Tuesday.
- Why
- A well-marked low-pressure area over the northwest Bay of Bengal concentrated into a depression; high tide in the Hooghly forced sluice gates shut, worsening waterlogging.
Key facts
- Rainfall in New Town
- Around 68mm
- Rainfall in Salt Lake
- 63mm
- Rainfall at Minto Park
- 57mm
- Rainfall in Alipore
- 44mm
- Heavy rain threshold
- 60mm or more in 24 hours
- Depression location (11.30am Monday)
- 30km west-northwest of Calcutta
- Sluice gate closure
- 1.30pm to 6.30pm due to high tide in the Hooghly
- Tuesday forecast for Calcutta
- Generally cloudy with light rain; heavy rain in western districts of south Bengal
Quotes
An official of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation
Municipal official responsible for city water management
“The sluice gates were shut because of high tide in the Hooghly between 1.30pm and 6.30pm. The closure contributed to the waterlogging.”
telegraphindia.com
Terence Joh
Director of Education and Development, Julien Day School group
“Dispersal was delayed by 30 minutes to an hour. During the dispersal of the pre‑primary section, older siblings were allowed to leave with their parents along with their younger siblings.”
telegraphindia.com










