The unusual dip in minimum temperatures continued across West Bengal as cool northerly winds swept the state, with Kolkata recording its coldest day of the season on Saturday at 12.8 degrees Celsius.
Winter has firmly set in across the state during the final week of December, with minimum temperatures in Kolkata and other parts of South Bengal steadily declining over the past few days. Saturday’s mercury reading marked the coldest day of the season so far.
On Thursday, Kolkata recorded a minimum temperature of 13.7 degrees Celsius, which was the lowest until then. The record was broken on Friday with 12.9 degrees Celsius and dipped further to 12.8 degrees Celsius on Saturday, one degree below the normal. Meanwhile, the city’s maximum temperature on Friday was 21.2 degrees Celsius, around 4.4 degrees below normal.
The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Alipore said temperatures are likely to remain similar over the next few days, with a possibility of further decline. The sky over Kolkata is expected to remain mostly clear and cloudless through Sunday, though morning fog is likely.
A fog warning has been issued for almost all districts of South Bengal, where light to moderate fog may reduce visibility to between 999 metres and 200 metres. In North Bengal, dense fog is expected, with visibility dropping sharply to between 199 metres and 50 metres. A dense fog warning has been issued for all northern districts for Saturday and Sunday. No significant change in temperatures is expected in North Bengal over the next seven days.
Meanwhile, Sriniketan in Birbhum district emerged as the coldest location in South Bengal over the past few days, recording temperatures lower than even some parts of North Bengal, including Kalimpong and Alipurduar. On Saturday, Sriniketan recorded a minimum temperature of 9.7 degrees Celsius.
Other minimum temperatures across the state included 9.9°C in Bankura; 10.2°C in Purulia and Kalyani; 10°C in Burdwan; 10.6°C in Asansol; 11°C in Uluberia, Canning, Suri, and Jhargram; 11.2°C in Midnapore and Krishnanagar; 11.4°C in Berhampore; 11.5°C in Contai; 11.3°C in Panagarh; 11.6°C in Digha; 12.2°C in Barrackpore; and 12.6°C in Diamond Harbour.
In North Bengal, Darjeeling recorded a minimum temperature of 5.8°C, Kalimpong 9.5°C, and Raiganj 10°C.
–IANS
