Kolkata, Jun 23 (PTI) Thunderstorms accompanied by heavy rain lashed Kolkata and several districts of south Bengal on Tuesday afternoon, uprooting trees, disrupting traffic and causing inconvenience to commuters,
officials said.
Dark clouds gathered over the city from early afternoon before a spell of rain swept across Kolkata around 2 pm, bringing relief from humid conditions but triggering widespread disruption in several areas.
Several parts of the city reported waterlogging, while strong winds uprooted trees at key locations, including the Esplanade area and near the Calcutta High Court, leading to traffic snarls on adjoining roads.
A temporary idol structure on Dufferin Road was damaged in the storm, while a tree fell on a few vehicles parked inside the high court premises, the officials said.
Trees also collapsed on overhead power lines at some places.
Civic workers rushed to the affected locations and began clearing fallen trees to restore traffic movement.
The inclement weather coincided with the closing of school and college hours, leaving many students and their guardians stranded in rain-soaked streets and traffic congestion.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said thunderstorms and rain also affected Howrah, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Purulia districts.
The weather office issued an alert for Kolkata, Howrah, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Hooghly and parts of Nadia district for three hours from 2 pm, forecasting moderate to heavy rainfall accompanied by gusty winds with speeds of 40-50 kmph.
Heavy rainfall was forecast for Kolkata, Howrah and South 24 Parganas, while moderate rain was expected in the remaining districts under the alert zone, it said.
The IMD also issued a warning for Purulia, Bankura, Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Birbhum, Murshidabad and Nadia districts for the day, predicting thunderstorms with wind speeds reaching 40-50 kmph.
There was no immediate report of any injury or fatality due to the inclement weather. PTI PNT RBT
