Kolkata: The early-winter chill continued in Kolkata even as the mercury dropped to 15.4 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, the lowest so far this season and the second lowest recorded in November in the past six years. A cyclone set to hit the Tamil Nadu coast on Wednesday, however, could generate moisture and pull the mercury up slightly over the next 24 hours, said the Met office. Clouds from the outer band of the cyclone floated into the city on Tuesday and the cloud cover could thicken on Wednesday.
“It got cloudy in the latter half of Tuesday. As the cyclone hits land, more clouds will form and the resultant moisture could pull up the minimum temperature by a degree on Wednesday,” said Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) director G K Das. He added that once the clouds dispersed and the moisture content dropped, the mercury could plunge again by the weekend.
The northwesterly continued to blow on Tuesday, carrying in chill. While the clouds may block its flow over the next 48 hours, it will revive once the impact of the cyclone recedes. “We could see the minimum temperature touch 19 degrees by Friday. But over the weekend, it could slide gradually,” said Das. The maximum temperature, which read 26.6 degrees on Tuesday, could drop by a degree on Wednesday. “As the cloud cover intensifies, the day temperature will drop,” said Das.
The chilly spell is set to be a short one and winter chill may not be felt before mid-December, according to weathermen. “In November, short, cool spells are usually interspersed with cloudy days when the mercury shoots up. This is the early winter pattern in Kolkata,” said Das.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/cloud-cover-may-pull-up-mercury-today/articleshow/79396402.cms
