The weather in Kolkata has been gripped by a cold wave for the last few days. The temperatures had plummeted to almost 10 degrees. However, a slight relief was noticed this morning as the cold atmosphere receded somewhat. The minimum temperature in Kolkata rose to 11.6 degrees on Thursday, up from 10.3 degrees on Wednesday. However, it is still 2.3 degrees lower than the normal average.
Is the cold receding?
Even with the minor increase, meteorologists have warned that one should not think that winter is backing off. The Alipore weather office has stated that there will be no variation in the minimum temperatures for the next two days for the South Bengal districts. A minor hike of two degrees Celsius may take place after that. Presently, the minimum temperature for the metropolis will remain around 11°C, while the maximum may remain at 22°C.
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Cold wave conditions continue in South Bengal
The cold wave-like conditions will remain in different western districts of South Bengal until Saturday. On Tuesday, Kolkata experienced the coldest day of this season at 10°C. Purba Bardhaman and Birbhum districts have been put under the 'cold wave' warning on Thursday. Birbhum will probably remain in this zone until Friday morning. 'Cold day' conditions have been forecast for six other districts.
Compared to the previous week, the effect of the cold in the day has been less intense because of a marginal rise in minimum temperatures. Kolkata's maximum temperature on Wednesday was 22 degrees Celsius. This is around 2.7 degrees lower than the average. Fog has also proved to be an important factor. Dense fog conditions are expected in both North and South Bengal until January 12.
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North Bengal remains colder
North Bengal is experiencing even more extreme chilly winter weather. The lowest temperature was recorded at 6.2°C in Sriniketan, while it dropped to 1.5°C in Darjeeling, with the possibility of snowfall in the higher reaches. A ‘cold day’ warning is still there for some districts in the area. The temperatures are unlikely to vary much in the coming five days.
There is a slight chance of light rain in the higher areas of North Bengal. According to meteorologists, a depression is expected to form in the Bay of Bengal, which may affect the weather accordingly next week. Till then, fog and extreme cold weather are expected to continue, and thus winter is here to stay.
