environment

IMD Predicts Heavy Rains and Thunderstorms in South Bengal Until July 27

Published on: 24 Jul 2026, 12:08 PM

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall across parts of southern West Bengal until July 27. Thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds are expected to affect several districts, including Kolkata, during this period.

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Kolkata attributed the weather to an upper-air cyclonic circulation over north Gangetic West Bengal and adjacent Bangladesh, combined with an active monsoon trough. This system is likely to bring widespread rain across the state over the next four days.

For South Bengal, the IMD forecasts very heavy rainfall (7–20 cm) at isolated places over East Midnapore, West Midnapore, and South 24 Parganas on July 24 and July 26. Heavy rainfall (7–11 cm) is also expected over Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas, Bankura, Purulia, and Jhargram on different days within the forecast period.

Rainfall intensity is likely to ease from July 28, although light to moderate rain or thundershowers are expected to continue over most districts of South Bengal. Residents are advised to stay informed about weather updates and take necessary precautions during the severe weather period.

Source: Indian Express

Latest in Environment 10

environment

1,500 Objections, 1,128 Trees: Bengaluru's Hebbal Tunnel Plan Draws Public Ire

The Greater Bengaluru Authority has received over 1,500 objections to the proposed felling of 1,128 trees for the Hebbal Short Tunnel Project, with concerns ranging from biodiversity loss and Hebbal Lake hydrology to heat island effects. The National Green Tribunal has barred the BDA from cutting trees until December 15, and a tree expert committee will now review the objections alongside the implementing agency.

The Hindu 20 Oct 2026, 01:52 PM

environment

Mullaperiyar dam level at 116.75 ft, well below the 142-ft ceiling

The Mullaperiyar dam stood at 116.75 feet on Saturday, well below its 142-foot permissible ceiling, with an inflow of 718 cusecs against a discharge of 400 cusecs. The Vaigai dam was at 43.77 feet against a full level of 71 feet, and combined storage in the Periyar credit was 3,023.34 mcft. Maruthanadhi dam recorded the highest rainfall in the region at 15.4 mm in the 24 hours ending Saturday morning.

The Hindu 17 Oct 2026, 01:46 PM

environment

Idukki Villagers Re-erect Fences, Blocking Elephant Corridors After Fatal Attack

Residents of Panthadikkalam in Idukki have re-erected fences that the Forest department removed to allow elephant movement, following the death of a farmer in an elephant attack. The move has blocked traditional elephant routes, leaving six elephants roaming near the settlement. The Forest department plans to capture and relocate two problematic elephants, while an expert committee studies the conflict.

The Hindu 09 Oct 2026, 01:43 PM

environment

Wildlife law architect warns India's protected areas are shrinking under development pressure

Wildlife conservationist M.K. Ranjitsinh Jhala, chief architect of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, has warned that India's protected areas are shrinking amid growing pressure from development, mining and tourism. Speaking in Thiruvananthapuram, he urged that conservation look beyond iconic animals to habitats and the ecological systems that sustain people. Officials and speakers at the event called for a people-centred approach that links conservation with local livelihoods.

The Hindu 05 Oct 2026, 03:39 PM

environment

Scientists Can Now Trace the Damage a Single Coal Mine or Gas Project Will Cause

Scientists have released an open-source tool that estimates how much a single fossil fuel project will warm the planet and the specific damage it will cause, from heatwave deaths in Europe to coral loss on the Great Barrier Reef. The Carbon Impacts Tracer applies established attribution science to individual coal, oil and gas developments, weakening the argument that any one project's emissions are too small to matter.

The Hindu 01 Oct 2026, 01:51 PM

environment

CAQM asks NCR states to tighten checks on vehicular pollution, stubble burning

The CAQM has directed enforcing agencies across the National Capital Region to ensure strict compliance with its directions, focusing on vehicular and industrial emissions, stubble burning and dust from roads and construction. The directions were reviewed at a meeting of its Sub-Committee on Safeguarding and Enforcement, chaired by CAQM Chairperson Rajesh Verma, which also asked agencies to strengthen inspection and monitoring.

The Hindu 01 Oct 2026, 04:58 AM

environment

Ganesh festival waste in Hyderabad up 40% in a year, four times the 2023 level

Hyderabad collected 4,527 metric tonnes of waste during the 11 days of Ganesh Chaturthi in 2026, about 40 per cent more than last year and more than four times the 2023 figure. The rise came despite 136 GHMC sanitation teams and over 6,000 sweepers working round the clock, with 1.15 lakh idols immersed in city lakes.

The Hindu 26 Sep 2026, 03:50 PM

environment

Kedarnath's Five-Month Waste Tally Crosses 50 Tonnes, More Than Double Last Season's Total

Kedarnath generated 50.30 metric tonnes of waste between April and August 2026, more than two and a half times the total collected in the whole of the previous pilgrimage season, according to Nagar Panchayat data released under an RTI request. The town's landfills remain largely unused so far, but the activist who sought the data warns that rising waste volumes threaten the ecologically sensitive Himalayan region.

The Hindu 25 Sep 2026, 05:41 AM

environment

Hebbal tunnel project: 1,128 trees of 70+ species to be felled; full list still unpublished

Documents show that over 70 tree species are among the 1,128 trees marked for felling along a 2.2-km stretch for Bengaluru's Hebbal short tunnel project, though the full list has not been made public. Experts say the loss of green cover could raise local temperatures and damage habitats, while a Change.org petition opposing the project has crossed 20,000 signatures.

The Hindu 24 Sep 2026, 05:51 AM

environment

Western Ghats draft is in Hindi and English only. A coalition has now released a Kannada translation

A coalition of organisations has released a Kannada translation of the seventh draft notification on the Western Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Area, which was otherwise available only in Hindi and English. Karnataka holds the largest share of the proposed protected area, and the coalition says residents cannot respond to a notification they cannot read.

The Hindu 22 Sep 2026, 03:46 PM

→ View All Environment News