The southwest monsoon advanced into most parts of north Bengal, the Met office said on Thursday, warning of heavy rain in the region over the next five days.

Conditions are favourable for further advance of the monsoon into some parts of south Bengal and the remaining parts of Malda in the north during the next two to three days, it said.

The weatherman forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall at one or two places over the districts of Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong and Darjeeling in north Bengal over the next five days.

It also forecast thunderstorms and lightning with gusty wind speed reaching 30 to 40 km per hour in all districts of south Bengal during the next three days.

Pundibari in Cooch Behar district recorded the highest rainfall of 160 mm in the state in the past 24 hours till 8.30 am on Thursday, the Met data said.

Other places that saw significantly high rainfall in the period include Cooch Behar town (140 mm), Gangarampur (130 mm), Barobisha (120 mm) and Mathabhanga (120 mm), it said.