KOLKATA: Heavy rain is likely to dampen the festive buzz around Kali Puja and Diwali in West Bengal, owing to a low pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, the Met office said on Wednesday.
The weather system over west-central Bay of Bengal could cause heavy rainfall in different parts of the state till Saturday morning, it said.
Spells of light to moderate rain hit the metropolis and the southern districts in the afternoon, and the intensity may increase as the "well-marked low pressure" moves north- northwestwards towards the north Andhra Pradesh coast along with strong moisture incursion from Bay of Bengal, the weatherman said.
Preparations for community Kali Pujas and final touches to pandals and clay idols of the goddess are underway in full swing in the state, but the forecast of downpour for the next three days could play spoilsport.
The weather formation is likely to cause heavy to very heavy rain at one or two places in Birbhum, Bankura, Purulia, West Burdwan and Murshidabad districts, the Met office said.
Heavy rain is also likely to lash Kolkata, East and West Midnapore, East Burdwan, Jhargram, Nadia, Howrah, Hooghly, Malda, North and South Dinajpur districts, it said.
With the low-pressure area likely to move in a north-northwestward direction, heavy rainfall may occur on Friday in Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Coochbehar and Alipurduar districts.