Bengal: Spine-tingling cold strikes ; Kolkata marks its coldest day in 13 years
Bengal: Kolkata recorded the coldest day in the previous 13 years on Tuesday, as the frigid weather in West Bengal persisted.
The city’s minimum temperature on Tuesday was 10.2 degrees Celsius, which is 3.7 degrees below average. Monday’s high temperature in Kolkata was 18.4 degrees Celsius, 6.7 degrees below average.
Kolkata and the rest of the state experienced bone-chilling cold as a consequence of the precipitous decrease in the minimum temperature and the unrestricted movement of northerly winds.
In the last 13 years, Kolkata’s January temperatures have never been lower. The lowest temperature in Kolkata was 9 degrees Celsius on January 9, 2013. The lowest recorded temperature in Kolkata on January 22, 2003, was 9.3 degrees Celsius.
On Tuesday morning, however, the temperature fell below 10 degrees Celsius in a few suburban and adjacent locations.
Early in the morning, a thin layer of fog was also seen in Kolkata. But from late Monday evening, thick fog began to envelop the neighboring areas.
There has been a lot of fog, some light rain, and even some snowfall this winter. For the next seven days, Bengal’s weather is expected to continue to be characterized by these characteristics.
Nine districts in the state would experience cold day conditions, according to a representative of the Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore, Kolkata. These include the districts of Bankura, Birbhum, East Burdwan, West Burdwan, Murshidabad, and Nadia in south Bengal, and Malda, North Dinajpur, and South Dinajpur in north Bengal.”
As a consequence, the temperature in South Bengal’s districts, including Kolkata, is probably going to drop a few more degrees. South Bengal’s evening temperatures might drop by a further 2 degrees on Wednesday and Thursday. The temperature won’t fluctuate much during the next four to five days. Additionally, the maximum daily temperature will be 3 to 5 degrees below average throughout this time.
Parts of the two Burdwan districts, Bankura, Birbhum, Murshidabad, and Nadia, may experience “cold day” conditions on Tuesday, when the maximum daytime temperature falls noticeably below average.
All of these districts—aside from Bankura—may continue to see similar “cold day” weather on Wednesday. Additionally, Murshidabad and Nadia are under a warning for strong fog.
Over the next several days, heavy fog is predicted in almost every district in North Bengal. Fog in the early morning may make it harder to see. “Malda in north Bengal and the two districts of Dinajpur may also experience “cold day” conditions.
In the meanwhile, Darjeeling and Sikkim have had snowfall. According to the Meteorological Department, north Bengal’s highest temperature would continue to be 4–6 degrees Celsius below average. In the hilly regions, rain is also anticipated. Tuesday is expected to bring rain to the districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Jalpaiguri.
In Darjeeling’s steep regions, snowfall is a possibility.
High-altitude locations including Sandakphu, Ghoom, Dhotrey, and Chatakpur are predicted to have snowfall today.
North Bengal is anticipated to have dense fog, especially in North Dinajpur, Cooch Behar, and Darjeeling. In some locations, visibility may decrease to 50 meters.