Kolkata, Sep 28 — More rain is expected in West Bengal ahead of the Durga Puja festivities as a fresh low-pressure area has formed over the Bay of Bengal, the Met office said on Monday.
The weather system has formed over southern coastal Myanmar and adjoining areas and is currently concentrated near the Myanmar coast. It is likely to strengthen into a depression over the next few days, meteorologists said.
If the system develops into a depression, it is expected to move gradually northwards. In view of the developing weather system, fishermen have been advised against venturing into the east-central and northeast Bay of Bengal along the Myanmar-Bangladesh coast.
The Met office said the depression is unlikely to directly affect West Bengal, though its future movement could have a partial impact on the state.
Last week, several districts of South Bengal received heavy rain under the influence of a deep depression over the west-central Bay of Bengal. Kolkata also witnessed prolonged spells of rain during the period.
The deep depression subsequently moved towards the coast and made landfall along the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast. Its influence has weakened since Saturday, resulting in a significant reduction in rainfall across the state.
The Met Office said there is currently no indication of widespread thunderstorms in West Bengal, though the weather forecast could change with the system's movement.
"There is a low-pressure area over southern coastal Myanmar and adjoining areas. It moved into the Andaman Sea and became a well-marked low-pressure area on Sunday afternoon. It is expected to move further northwestwards by Monday and intensify into a depression. Thereafter, it will move northwards towards the sea adjoining the Myanmar-Bangladesh coast within two days," a Met department official said.
Under its influence, gusty winds of 45 to 55 kilometres per hour are likely over the sea in the region, with wind speeds occasionally reaching 65 kilometres per hour.
A warning has been issued to fishermen operating in the east-central and northeast Bay of Bengal near the Myanmar-Bangladesh coast from Monday to Wednesday for the time being. No warning has been issued for the West Bengal coast so far.
Kolkata recorded a minimum temperature of 26.5 degrees Celsius on Monday morning, 0.5 degrees above normal. The city's maximum temperature on Sunday was 32.4 degrees Celsius, 0.1 degrees below normal.