1 killed as thunderstorm, heavy rain hit parts of Bengal, likely to continue till Friday

Thundersquall and heavy rain lashed the city and some other districts in West Bengal as the Met department on Tuesday forecast enhanced thunderstorm activity across the state till April 24 owing to the formation of low pressure.

A 50-year-old man, identified as Haru Bagdi of Mann village in Bankura's Barjora area, was killed in a lightning strike while returning from the field amid the heavy rains on Monday evening, district officials said.

Strong winds uprooted trees and lampposts in several areas across the state, besides hail affecting fruits and vegetables in fields.

Farmers said they fear huge losses as the hailstorm will affect crops such as mango, blackberry and watermelon.

Dum Dum airport area in Kolkata recorded 44.4 mm rainfall till 8.30 am on Tuesday over a 24-hour period, while the highest precipitation in the state was at Barrackpore in the northern suburbs of Kolkata at 57 mm, the Met said.

Owing to the presence of a trough of low pressure over eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and strong moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal, enhanced thunderstorms along with lightning, moderate rainfall and gusty wind will occur over the districts of West Bengal from Tuesday to Friday, the weatherman said in its forecast.

The other places in the state that recorded moderate to heavy rainfall during the 24-hour period were Burdwan (48.8 mm), Bankura (42.4 mm), Panagarh (28.4 mm), Jalpaiguri (21.8 mm) and Salt Lake (15.4 mm), the Met department said.

A nor'wester passed over Kolkata at 5.25 am on Tuesday with a wind speed of 56 km per hour, which lasted for a minute, it said.