Cyclone Montha to bring heavy rain in several West Bengal districts

Cyclone Montha is likely to bring heavy rain in several districts across West Bengal from Tuesday to Friday, the IMD said.

The weather system, situated over the Bay of Bengal, is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm and make landfall near Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday night, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a special bulletin.

The Met advised fishermen not to venture into the sea along and off the West Bengal coast till Thursday.

It warned of the possibility of landslides in the hilly areas of Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts and waterlogging in low-lying areas in the plains.

While light to moderate rain is expected over many places in south Bengal, heavy rain is likely to occur over North and South 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Purulia, Purba and Paschim Bardhaman, Birbhum and Murshidabad districts between Tuesday and Friday, it said.

The IMD said heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20 cm) is likely over the north Bengal districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar, and heavy downpour is likely over Uttar and Dakshin Dinajpur and Malda districts.