Rain lashes Bengal as Cyclone Arnab turns into depression; IMD warns of showers till Friday

Rain and squally winds lashed parts of West Bengal on Thursday as the "very severe" cyclonic storm Arnab weakened into a depression and lay centred over south Chhattisgarh and adjoining south Odisha.

Cyclone Arnab weakens, heavy rain forecast till Friday

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the depression is likely to weaken to a well-marked low pressure by Thursday evening, bringing heavy rain in West Bengal till Friday.

It also noted that a fresh low pressure formed over the South Andaman Sea on Thursday morning. The weather system is likely to intensify into a depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal as it moves in a west-northwestward direction, the weather office said.

Heavy rain alert for south Bengal and Himalayan districts

The meteorological department has forecast heavy rain in South 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Bankura and Purulia districts in south Bengal till Friday owing to the effects of the remnants of Cyclone Arnab.

Heavy rain will also occur over the sub-Himalayan districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar till Saturday morning, it said, adding that thunderstorms and rain are likely across West Bengal till Saturday.

Sagar Island records highest rainfall in 24 hours

The Sagar Island along the Bay of Bengal coast received 81.8 mm rainfall in 24 hours till 8.30 am on Thursday, the highest in the state for that period, according to IMD data. The other places in the state which received significant rain during the period are Medinipur (48 mm), Digha (46 mm), Haldia (36 mm) and Kanthi (35 mm).

Kolkata is likely to remain overcast with the possibility of one or two spells of light to moderate rain on Thursday, the weather office said.