Kolkata, Jan 6 (PTI) Kolkata on Tuesday recorded its coldest January day as the mercury plunged to 10.2 degrees Celsius, the IMD said, forecasting that the chill is set to intensify across southern West Bengal over the next two days.
According to official data, Kolkata’s minimum temperature in January had dipped below 11 degrees Celsius only once in the last 15 years, in 2023, when it touched 10.9 degrees Celsius.
In December 2012, the city recorded 10 degrees Celsius, while the all-time low remains 7.2 degrees Celsius, registered in December 1965.
Several adjoining areas saw the mercury dip to even below the 10-degree Celsius mark.
While Dum Dum recorded 9.5 degrees Celsius, Howrah was at 9 degrees Celsius, according to the IMD.
Sriniketan in Birbhum district was the state’s coldest place in the plains at 6.2 degrees Celsius, while Darjeeling was the coldest in the hills at 3.2 degrees.
Among the major cities in the state, Siliguri recorded 10.6 degrees Celsius, and Asansol was at 8.8 degrees.
A thick blanket of fog enveloped Kolkata in the morning, affecting visibility.
The IMD said the minimum temperature recorded in the city was 6.7 notches below the normal.
It said the cold wave conditions are likely to deepen further in the southern districts of the state, with the mercury falling by another 2 degrees Celsius on Wednesday and Thursday. Thereafter, temperatures are expected to remain largely stable for the next four to five days.
During this period, the maximum daytime temperature is also likely to stay three to five degrees below normal, it said.
In northern West Bengal, dense fog is expected to prevail across most districts over the next few days, particularly during the early morning hours, leading to reduced visibility, it added Cold day conditions are also likely in parts of Dakshin Dinajpur, Uttar Dinajpur and Malda.
The IMD advised people, especially the elderly and those with health conditions, to take precautions as the cold spell tightens its grip on the region. PTI PNT SOM
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