Bengal heavy rainfall warning: 7-day rain forecast for Kolkata, north Bengal on alert
Synopsis
The RMC at Alipore has put virtually all of West Bengal on rain watch — south Bengal faces a seven-day stretch of thunderstorms while north Bengal braces for heavy to very heavy downpours from Sunday itself. With a cyclonic circulation over Bangladesh and a Bay of Bengal moisture surge driving the system, the intensity is set to peak between Thursday and Saturday across multiple districts.
Key Takeaways
RMC Alipore on 12 July forecast continuous rain across south Bengal , including Kolkata , for the next seven days .
A heavy to very heavy rainfall warning has been issued for north Bengal ; Darjeeling , Kalimpong , Jalpaiguri , Alipurduar , and Cooch Behar are on alert from Sunday.
Rainfall in south Bengal is expected to intensify from Thursday , with warnings covering South 24 Parganas , Purba Medinipur , Paschim Medinipur , Jhargram , Purulia , and Bankura through Saturday.
A cyclonic circulation over north Bangladesh and a trough from Bihar to Manipur are channelling heavy Bay of Bengal moisture into the state.
Kolkata recorded a minimum temperature of 28.4°C (1.5° above normal) and a maximum of 32.1°C (0.7° below normal) on Sunday.
No fresh warning has been issued for fishermen venturing into the sea.
The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) at Alipore, Kolkata, on Sunday, 12 July, predicted continuous rain across south Bengal districts — including Kolkata — for the next seven days, while simultaneously issuing a heavy to very heavy rainfall warning for north Bengal. The forecast covers a wide swathe of the state, with activity expected to intensify from Thursday onward.
What Is Driving the Rain
A senior RMC official explained that the monsoon axis currently stretches from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh all the way to Manipur. Compounding this, a cyclonic circulation is active over north Bangladesh and adjoining areas, extending up to 1.5 km above mean sea level.
'Another trough has extended from Bihar to Manipur across this cyclonic circulation. As a result, a large amount of moisture is entering the land from the Bay of Bengal. Due to its impact, rain and thunderstorms will continue across north and south Bengal,' the official said.
District-Wise Forecast for South Bengal
Scattered rain accompanied by thunderstorms will persist in Kolkata through Tuesday, with gusty winds of 30–40 kmph also likely. Similar conditions have been forecast for North 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, South 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur, Jhargram, and Purulia districts over the coming days.
Heavy rain is expected in Bankura, Paschim Bardhaman, and Murshidabad on Monday. From Thursday to Saturday, a warning of continuous heavy rain has been issued for South 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Purulia, and Bankura. Rainfall activity in south Bengal is broadly expected to intensify from Thursday, with Howrah and North 24 Parganas also in the heavy-rain zone that day.
North Bengal Faces Heaviest Blow
Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, and Cooch Behar are all likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall on Sunday and Monday. Rain is expected to continue across all north Bengal districts through Tuesday, with Kalimpong and Alipurduar facing another heavy-rain episode the following Friday and Saturday. The remaining north Bengal districts are also on heavy-rain watch during this window.
Kolkata Temperature and Fishermen Advisory
The minimum temperature in Kolkata on Sunday morning was recorded at 28.4 degrees Celsius, which is 1.5 degrees above normal. The maximum temperature on Saturday stood at 32.1 degrees Celsius, 0.7 degrees below normal — a sign that cloud cover is keeping daytime heat in check even as humidity remains high.
Notably, no fresh warning has been issued for fishermen venturing into the sea, according to the RMC. This comes amid the active southwest monsoon season, when Bay of Bengal systems routinely amplify rainfall over eastern India. The week ahead will test drainage infrastructure across both north and south Bengal, with multiple districts facing overlapping rain spells well into the weekend.
Point of View
But it carries an implicit infrastructure stress-test for West Bengal. North Bengal's hill districts — Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar — are perennially vulnerable to landslides and flash floods when heavy and very heavy rain coincide with saturated soil from prior spells. The south Bengal warning, stretching a full week, will strain urban drainage in Kolkata, a city whose flood-mitigation upgrades have repeatedly fallen behind the monsoon calendar. The absence of a fishermen's advisory is a rare relief signal in an otherwise wide-ranging alert.
NationPress
12 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which districts in West Bengal are under heavy rainfall warning?
In north Bengal, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, and Cooch Behar face heavy to very heavy rain from Sunday. In south Bengal, South 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Purulia, and Bankura are under a continuous heavy-rain warning from Thursday to Saturday.
How long will rain continue in Kolkata?
According to the RMC forecast issued on 12 July, rain and thunderstorms will continue in Kolkata for the next seven days. Gusty winds of 30–40 kmph are also likely through at least Tuesday.
What weather system is causing the heavy rain in Bengal?
A monsoon axis stretching from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to Manipur, combined with a cyclonic circulation over north Bangladesh extending up to 1.5 km above sea level and a trough from Bihar to Manipur, is driving large-scale moisture from the Bay of Bengal into West Bengal.
Is there any warning for fishermen going to sea?
No. The RMC has not issued any fresh warning for fishermen venturing into the sea as of 12 July, despite the active monsoon conditions over the region.
What is the temperature situation in Kolkata during this rain spell?
Kolkata recorded a minimum temperature of 28.4°C on Sunday morning, which is 1.5 degrees above normal. The maximum on Saturday was 32.1°C, marginally 0.7 degrees below normal, reflecting the cloud cover suppressing daytime heat.
