Tue Sep 23 05:50:00 UTC 2025: ## Kolkata Gripped by Deadly Deluge: Seven Dead, City Paralyzed

**Kolkata, India -** Kolkata is reeling from a night of torrential rainfall that has left at least seven people dead due to electrocution and significant portions of the city submerged. The downpour, which began late Monday and continued into the early hours of Tuesday, brought the metropolis to a standstill, disrupting transportation and daily life.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Alipore observatory recorded a staggering 247.4 mm of rainfall by 6:30 AM, making it the third-highest September rainfall ever recorded in the city. The last 24 hours saw a total of 251.4 mm (8:30 AM, September 22nd to 8:30 AM, September 23rd, 2025). While short of the all-time record of 369 mm set on September 28th, 1978, the intensity of the recent downpour, concentrated within a 3-4 hour period, has been particularly devastating.

While not a cyclone, weather experts attribute the extreme rainfall to a convective thunderstorm stemming from the outer band of a low-pressure area, specifically tropical disturbance 98B over the Bay of Bengal. The low-pressure system, initially located over the northeast Bay of Bengal, has moved northwest, making landfall in Kuakata, Bangladesh, and is now impacting Gangetic West Bengal.

Dr. Swapnamita C. Vaideswaran, a scientist at WIHG, highlighted a concerning trend: “We are seeing fewer rainy days, but the intensity of each event has increased.” Long-term climate data suggests a decrease in overall annual rainfall, but the rain that does fall is becoming increasingly violent and concentrated.

The IMD reports that the low-pressure area currently situated over the coastal areas of Gangetic West Bengal and adjoining North Odisha is expected to persist for the next 24 hours before gradually weakening. Squally weather with wind speeds reaching 35-45 kmph, gusting up to 55 kmph, and moderate to rough sea conditions are anticipated over the northeast and adjoining areas of the Bay of Bengal, as well as along the West Bengal-Bangladesh-Myanmar coasts and the North Andaman Sea through September 24th.

Adding to the concerns, another low-pressure area is predicted to form over the northwest and adjoining central Bay of Bengal around September 25th. This system is expected to intensify into a depression by September 26th and cross the South Odisha-North Andhra Pradesh coasts around September 27th, bringing with it squally winds and rough seas.

Fishermen are strongly advised not to venture into these areas between September 25th and 27th. Those already at sea off the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coasts are urged to return to shore by September 24th.

Authorities are scrambling to provide relief to affected residents and are urging citizens to exercise caution in the face of continuing adverse weather conditions.

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