NEW DELHI: The capital of India’s West Bengal state, Kolkata, was on alert on Wednesday after the worst rainfall in four decades left parts of the city submerged.
Residential areas and businesses across the city and its suburbs have struggled with severe waterlogging since Monday night. Key roads have been flooded and public transportation disrupted, bringing Kolkata to a standstill and forcing people to wade through water.
On Tuesday, the city received more than 251.6 mm of rainfall in fewer than 24 hours — the worst since 1986.
“That was also in the month of September. When you have 25 cm more rainfall in Kolkata it is quite unusual,” Dr. Habibur Rahman Biswas, the head of India Meteorological Department in Kolkata, told Arab News.
The heavy rainfall was caused by low pressure over the northeast Bay of Bengal.
