Amid the fear of floods looming large over various districts of south Bengal, the weather department has tipped some relief for the citizens of this part of the state. According to the Regional Meteorological Centre, south Bengal is unlikely to have any significant amount of rainfall for the next few days.

As informed by the weather scientists, the weather in Kolkata and other districts of south Bengal is anticipated to remain relatively dry for the next four to five days. “As there are no ‘systems’ in the vicinity of south Bengal, the region is unlikely to have any significant amount of rainfall for the next three to four days,” informed a weather department official. “Generally, a system over Jharkhand impacts the rainfall here too. However, in absence of any monsoon troughs or cyclonic circulation nearby, not only in south Bengal, there is hardly any rainfall likely even in the state of Jharkhand,” added the scientist.

According to the weather office, the nearest system at present is a ‘Well Marked Low Pressure Area’ over northeast Madhya Pradesh and adjoining southwest Uttar Pradesh that lay centered over central parts of north Madhya Pradesh and neighbourhood till this morning. The system is expected to weaken into a low pressure area over the same area during the next 24 hours. Moreover, the monsoon trough at mean sea level now passes through Ferozpur, Narnaul, the centre of well marked low pressure area over central parts of north Madhya Pradesh and neighbourhood, Pendra Road, Puri and then southeastwards to east central Bay of Bengal.

The system however, is unlikely to bring any significant amount of rainfall to south Bengal. “Even if there is rainfall, it is likely to be in the light to moderate range at one or two places over the districts. But overall, south Bengal is anticipated to be dry till 21 September,” added the weather department official.

As learnt from the RMC, Kolkata as well as south Bengal recorded normal rainfall during the season. From 1 June till today, Kolkata is said to have received 1,125 mm of rainfall against the 1,209 mm normal figure thereby registering a seven per cent deficit. In contrast, as compared to the normal figure of 1,057 mm, south Bengal has recorded 1,054 mm, which is just normal. In terms of rainfall in the month of September, the city recorded seven per cent excess rains till today while south Bengal registered about 72 per cent excess rainfall. As explained by a scientist, due to continuous rainfall from the end of July, the rivers were already swollen. The incessant rainfall last week has aggravated the situation.