Millennium Post (Kolkata)

As many as 12 people dead after thundersto­rm hits South Bengal

- OUR CORRESPOND­ENT

The mercury has dropped in the city by 5-6 degrees on Tuesday after nor’westers lashed several districts in South Bengal on Monday evening.

Meanwhile, as many as 12 people died after a thundersto­rm hit South Bengal on Monday evening. Around 9 died in separate incidents of lightning in South Bengal while two died following wall collapse and one died after a tree fell on the victim.

The city dwellers have breathed a sigh of relief as the temperatur­e plummets following thundersto­rms. The city had remained under heat spell for over two weeks. The maximum temperatur­e on Tuesday was recorded at 34 degree Celsius. The city witnessed temperatur­es above 40 degrees in the past few days. Temperatur­e may further drop in the city and other South Bengal districts in the next 24 hours as well.

The Regional Meteorolog­ical Centre in Alipore on Tuesday predicted rains or thundersho­wers and strong gusty winds in the several South Bengal districts in the next 24 hours. Kolkata may witness rains and thundersto­rms in the next 24 hours. After that over the course of

the week, the rainfall may start tickling to smaller isolated spells, a weather official said.

Thundersto­rms are likely to continue in 11 South Ben

gal districts in the next 24 hours. Heavy rainfall alert has been issued for three South Bengal districts — South 24-Parganas, North 24-Parganas and East Midnapore.

A gusty wind will be blowing through the coastal regions of South 24-Parganas, North 24-Parganas and East Midnapore. Thundersho­wers may continue in the coastal regions till Friday. The MeT office also predicted high tidal waves in Digha in East Midnapore and Bakkhali in South 24-Parganas.

“Heavy rainfall will continue in the districts like East Midnapore, North 24-Parganas, South 24-Parganas. There is a possibilit­y of rainfall and thundersho­wers in some of the north Bengal districts as well,” a weather official said.

A low-pressure axis was situated in Jharkhand that will bring more rainfall to the state. A gusty wind measuring 30-40 kmph will be sweeping through Birbhum, Murshidaba­d, Nadia, North 24-Parganas, South 24-Parganas in the next 48 hours.

Thundersto­rms and lightning claimed 5 lives in East Burdwan, 2 each in West Midnapore and Purulia, while 2 more people died due to wall collapses in Nadia. One died after a tree fell on him in South 24-Parganas.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from India