More heavy rain forecasted for Northern West Bengal

Heavy to very heavy rain is likely in northern West Bengal, already affected by torrential downpours over the last several days, till July 11, the Met Department said on Tuesday.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday asked the administration to ensure round-the-clock monitoring of the situation.

An active monsoon trough and a cyclonic circulation in northeast Assam are very likely to bring heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy downpours over northern West Bengal till July 11, the Met Department said.

The intensity of rain in the region is likely to decrease slightly on July 12 and 13, it said.

Gajaldoba in Jalpaiguri district recorded the state's highest rainfall at 180 mm in 24 hours till 8.30 am on Tuesday, it added.

The other places in northern West Bengal which recorded significantly high rainfall during the period are Sevoke (170 mm), Buxaduar (150 mm), Nagrakata (140 mm), Jalpaiguri town (130 mm) and Bhutanghat (120 mm), the data said.

Landslides in the hills, damaging roads, including National Highway 10 that connects West Bengal with Sikkim, and waterlogging at various places in the plains, have occurred owing to the unabated rainfall in the districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar.