Southwest monsoon advances into West Bengal

The southwest monsoon Friday advanced into West Bengal, at least four days ahead of its normal onset date and has covered some parts of the sub-Himalayan districts of the state, the Met department said.

It said that a cyclonic circulation over north coastal Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal and strong southwesterly winds from Bay of Bengal to northeast India will cause heavy rain in the northeastern states and sub-Himalayan West Bengal during the next five days.

The weatherman forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in the districts of Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Darjeeling and Kalimpong till June 8 morning owing to the onset of the monsoon. There is possibility of thunderstorms, lightning and light rain in the districts of Gangetic West Bengal during the next five days, it added. The southwest monsoon had entered Kerala on May 29, three days ahead of its usual date of June 1.