At a time when several pockets of the city and its adjoining areas are still submerged following the highest September rainfall in 14 years, another cyclonic circulation likely to be formed by Friday evening is predicted to
bring more showers this weekend.

The Met department has issued an alert of rainfall, thunderstorm and lightning on 26 and 27 September for the city and other districts of South Bengal. According to the Alipore Regional Meteorological Centre, a cyclonic circulation laying over Myanmar coast and adjoining Gulf of Martaban,today is likely to cause the formation of a low-pressure area over the east-central Bay of Bengal on the evening of 24 September and move west-north-westward to Odisha coast during the next 48 hours.

The low-pressure area is predicted to trigger downpour with thunderstorms and lightning at most places in East and West Midnapore, North and South 24 Parganas and Howrah districts and over the rest of South Bengal on 25 September. Kolkata, however, is predicted to receive downpours on 26 and 27 September.

For these two days, a yellow warning of heavy rainfall has been issued for the districts of South 24 Parganas, East and West Midnapore in South Bengal. The city received downpour of about 20mm today and is tipped to receive a few spells of rain or thundershowers tomorrow.

The Met officials have predicted the city sky to remain generally cloudy, tomorrow. According to the weather office, since the low-pressure area is yet to be formed, it is too early to forecast the impact. However, the districts close to Odisha coast where the yetto-be-formed low pressure area is tipped to move after Friday evening, might get enhanced rainfall, informed the officials of the weather department.

With the weather office warning mild to heavy rainfall during the weekend, state administration today asked the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to be ready, particularly in view of the Bhawanipore bypoll on 30 September.

State chief secretary HK Dwivedi held a meeting with the disaster management officials and all district administration and alerted KMC commissioner and Murshidabad administration to make necessary arrangements and ensure that the by-election is not hampered in Bhawanipore, Samsherganj and Jangipur due to rainfall.

Officials have been asked to set up temporary camps and stock dry food and tarpaulin if weather conditions deteriorate. Heavy rainfall in the last two days had left many areas of the city under water. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had to cancel her public meeting in Kidderpore yesterday due to heavy water-logging in the area.

Now, with the Alipore Met office predicting heavy to medium rainfall in the weekend, officials apprehended that the situation might deteriorate for the voters. Thus the NDRF has been asked to be prepared. Dwivedi has also asked
all DMs to make necessary preparations for combating any untoward situation due to the rainfall.