South west monsoon hits West Bengal and Sikkim -A low-pressure, which is presently located over Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, helped the monsoon to advance further to Bengal and Sikkim.

Joydeep Thakur, HT, Jun 12, 2020, Kolkata : India Meteorological Department (IMD) authorities announced on Friday about the onset of south-west monsoon in Kolkata, major parts of West Bengal and neighbouring Sikkim.

Almost all the districts of Gangetic Bengal have received rainfall accompanied by thunderstorm since Friday morning.

Intermittent rains are likely to continue over the next three to four days in the state, IMD officials said.

Some coastal districts and parts of north Bengal are expected to receive heavy rainfall, they added.

“South-west monsoon has set in Kolkata, major parts of Gangetic West Bengal, north Bengal and Sikkim on Friday,” said Sanjib Banerjee, deputy director-general at IMD’s regional meteorological centre in Kolkata.

A low-pressure, which is presently located over Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, helped the monsoon to advance further to Bengal and Sikkim.

Earlier, the IMD had said the this year’s monsoon is likely to be “normal” at 102% of the long-period average (LPA) with a model error of (+/-) 4%.

According to IMD’s second long-range forecast update for the monsoon, north-west India is expected to receive excess monsoon rainfall at 107% of LPA; the central parts are likely to get 103% of LPA, while the southern peninsula and north-eastern India are likely to receive 102% and 96% of LPA, respectively, with a model error of (+/-) 8%.