Durga Puja: Rain may dampen festivities on Maha Navami and Dashami in southern West Bengal, MeT predicts

Kolkata: Durga Puja revelry on Maha Navami and Bijoya Dashami may be slightly dampened with the MeT Department predicting rain or thundershowers in southern West Bengal on these two days. The intensity of rain is likely to increase from Saturday, the weatherman said. People attired in new clothes visiting Durga Puja pandals in Kolkata were taken aback by showers on Wednesday night. With visitors’ entry into marquees banned in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines, many people found no shelter and got drenched in the showers that lasted for around 30 minutes. Kolkata recorded 10.7 mm of rain, while Dum Dum on the northern outskirts of the city received 23.4 mm of rain, the India Meteorological Department said. The weatherman forecast ’light to moderate rain’ in all the districts of south Bengal till the morning of 19 October, the intensity of which may increase thereafter in some places. Thunderstorms with lightning may occur in Kolkata on Thursday (Maha Navami) and Friday (Bijoya Dashami). The districts of South and North 24 Parganas and Purba and Paschim Medinipur are likely to receive heavy rain with gusty wind reaching speeds of 30 to 40 km per hour from 17 October, the weatherman added.