Incessant downpour lash Kolkata, flooding airport runway, videos viral; IMD warns of more rains

Kolkata and nearby districts experienced incessant downpours on Saturday due to a low-pressure area that intensified into a deep depression. Heavy rainfall caused waterlogging on the runway of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Alipurduar, forecasting heavy rains.

The Met Department has issued a yellow alert for heavy rain of up to 11 cm in the Gangetic West Bengal districts, including Kolkata. It has also warned of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning.

The West Bengal’s capital reported widespread waterlogging in various areas of the city, as well as in nearby cities such as Howrah, Salt Lake, and Barrackpore. The same situation would persist throughout the day, the weather deportment said.

The downpour significantly impacted daily life and caused disruptions in transportation across the region.

Waterlogging was also reported from inside the Kolkata airport, but flight services were not affected.

"Both runway and all taxiways are fully operational. However, a few parking stands are affected by waterlogging, for which additional pumps have been deployed to drain the water from the operational area," PTI quoted an official from NSCB airport.

According to the city police, ankle-deep water was reported from parts of central and south Kolkata, but traffic movement was not disrupted.

Parts of the city experienced up to 7 cm rainfall since Friday afternoon, a weather official said.

Why is Kolkata facing heavy rain?

"The low pressure over Jharkhand and Gangetic West Bengal turned into a deep depression. It is gradually shifting towards Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. This, accompanied by an active monsoon trough over the southern districts of West Bengal, resulted in the rains," the weather official said.

West Bengal Weather Update

Meanwhile, the IMD has issued a 'red' alert for the Alipurduar district, where rainfall of up to 20 cm was likely and an 'orange' alert for heavy to very heavy rains was issued for Purulia, Murshidabad, Malda, Coochbehar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts.

The southern districts of Howrah, Paschim Bardhaman, Birbhum, Purba Bardhaman, Hooghly, Nadia, and North and South 24 Parganas districts will continue to experience showers over the next 12 hours, the IMD said.