Kolkata Gets Season's Heaviest Downpour, More Showers Likely
The city of Kolkata had been lying dormant this season following the delayed onset of the monsoon on 16th June 2025. The capital city received just modest rainfall of 20–30 mm on a few days.
Courtesy of a low-pressure area over Gangetic West Bengal, weather conditions began building up on Sunday, 6th July, and turned damp and stormy thereafter. A typical monsoon downpour lashed most parts of the city and suburbs yesterday—the first of this season. Rains are continuing and may become heavier.
A low-pressure area is marked over Gangetic West Bengal, supported by a well-marked cyclonic circulation. An elongated monsoon trough from the northern plains is extending across the central parts and dipping right through the center of the low-pressure area. The presence of the trough has accentuated rainfall activity over the city and its neighborhood.
There have been non-stop rains since yesterday over Gangetic West Bengal in general, and Kolkata and its suburbs in particular. The main observatories at Dum Dum Airport and the Regional Meteorological Office witnessed the first heavy downpour of the season, recording 89 mm and 82 mm of rainfall, respectively, till 8:30 AM this morning. Kolkata-Howrah was the highest with three-digit rainfall of 112 mm during the last 24 hours. Salt Lake competed with the airport and registered 88 mm of rainfall. Rain and thundershowers have been continuing ceaselessly since morning. Deep convection embedded in the sheet clouds may dump very heavy rainfall in some parts of the city. Jodhpur Park has already recorded nearly 100 mm of rainfall in just two hours. The downpour has flooded arterial roads and overwhelmed the weak drainage infrastructure. The city has witnessed widespread traffic snarls and flash flooding across several pockets. There is a risk of more waterlogging and inundation of low-lying areas, impacting connectivity.
The low-pressure area will remain in close proximity to the city for the next 24 hours. It will move slowly westward toward Jharkhand and further away from the state of West Bengal a day later. Rain and thundershowers are expected to continue throughout the day, with short breaks in between. Remnant effects may even last into tomorrow, with possible sharp showers in some areas. Weather conditions are likely to improve later in the day on 10th July and more significantly on 11th July 2025.
