Heavy downpour: 6 flights diverted to City from Kolkata

BHUBANESWAR: As many as six flights were diverted to Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) here due to inclement weather in Kolkata on Monday morning. Four flights of Indigo and one each of Air India and GoAir were diverted from Netaji Subhash Bose International Airport following heavy rains and lack of visibility in Kolkata.

All the diverted flights landed at BPIA between 10.30 am and 11 am. The flights had come in from Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, New Delhi and Bengaluru and were sent to Biju Patnaik Airport as the depression formed over Bay of Bengal headed towards Kolkata inducing heavy rainfall and strong wind.
After the weather cleared up, the flights were allowed to fly back to the West Bengal capital.
Earlier on Monday morning, the well-marked low pressure over the Bay of Bengal turned into a depression over Gangetic West Bengal and adjoining North Bay of Bengal. It concentrated into a deep depression and was lying about 50 km north-north-west of Kolkata, the weather office said.
The system is very likely to move initially in west-north west direction and weaken into a depression during the next 24 hours. It is likely to head northwards into Bihar brushing Jharkhand.
Under its impact, rain and thundershowers are likely to occur in some parts of North Odisha over the next one day.

Though the met office predicted heavy showers at some places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Mayurbhanj, Sonepur, Deogarh, Boudh, Jharsuguda and Sambalpur, heavy rainfall is unlikely since the system had changed its course away from the State. In the last 24 hours, Bhubaneswar, Chandbali and Baripada received showers.
The India Meteorological Department, however, has hoisted Local Cautionary Signal Number-3 at Paradip and Gopalpur ports and advised fishermen against venturing into sea.

Bad weather
● All diverted flights landed at BPIA between 10.30 am and 11 am
● The flights had come in from Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, New Delhi and Bengaluru
● After the weather cleared up, the flights were allowed to fly back to Kolkata
● The well-marked low pressure over the Bay turned into a depression over Gangetic West Bengal and adjoining North Bay of Bengal