Kolkata, June 29 -- The weather office had forecast heavy rainfall for Kolkata, and the prediction came true on Monday afternoon. Since morning, the city remained under a cloudy sky before dark rain clouds gathered and intense showers lashed several parts of Kolkata. Moderate to heavy rainfall was recorded across the city, with Kolkata receiving 27 mm of rain, accompanied by repeated spells of thunder and gusty winds.

The downpour brought temporary relief from the persistent heat but also caused widespread inconvenience and a near miss at one of the city's busiest intersections. At Rashbehari crossing, a tree suddenly collapsed onto two vehicles waiting at the traffic signal on the Kalighat-Tollygunge stretch.

Eight passengers escaped unharmed in what could have turned into a major accident. The tree was later removed using a crane. Waterlogging was also reported in multiple pockets of the city and traffic movement slowed considerably.

The timing of the rain coincided with school dispersal hours, adding to congestion across several major roads. Vehicular movement along the Park Circus Connector nearly came to a standstill, prompting authorities to impose a temporary 'No Entry' restriction for all vehicles. Several bus routes were diverted, causing inconvenience to commuters amid the rainy weather.

The rainfall, however, brought some respite to residents after days of uncomfortable humidity. Although a few hours of rain on Thursday had lowered temperatures briefly, the following days remained largely dry despite partly cloudy conditions, and humid weather continued to trouble the city. Monday's showers offered some relief.

According to the weather office, light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms is likely across most districts of South Bengal, including North and South 24-Parganas, East and West Midnapore, Jhargram, East and West Burdwan, Birbhum, Murshidabad and Nadia in the coming days. Gusty winds of 30-40 kmph may also accompany the rainfall.

Meteorologists said monsoon activity over South Bengal remains sluggish, reducing the possibility of continuous heavy rainfall for now. North Bengal, however, continues to witness heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, with a Red Alert issued for Darjeeling and warnings of fresh landslides in vulnerable hill areas.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.