At 11.2°C, temp dips to season’s lowest – Times of India

Kolkata: The city shivered as the December chill got sharper with the mercury plunging to 11.2°C on Sun-day – the season’s lowest so far. With the northwesterly wind getting stronger, the chill could continue on Monday, said the Met office. However, it added that the minimum temperature could climb by a degree. The maximum temperature on Sunday was 24.5°C
But the mercury is set to slide again on December 30 and 31, bringing the temperature below 12°C again. On December 21, the city had recorded a minimum temperature of 11.4°C.
The city is in the middle of a chilly spell that could continue till the year ends, said Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) director G K Das.
“With the northwesterly wind picking up pace, the mercury has dropped. While it could slow down a bit over the next 24 hours, we expect a fresh spurt from Wednesday when snowfall is expected in the northwestern Himalayas. It could pull the mercury down significantly across north India and an impact could be felt in Kolkata,” said Das.
Kolkatans soaked in the chill on Sunday as the Christmas weekend drew to a close. All the usual hot spots remained crowded and revellers wrapped themselves in woollens to stave off the piercing wind that got chillier as the day progressed. Kolkata has seen huge crowds at places like Maidan, Park Street, Eco Park, Alipore zoo and Nicco Park since Christmas.
The weather has induced more people to venture out of their homes, though doctors have warned that ignoring social distancing norms could be dangerous.
Sunday turned out to be one of the coldest December days in recent years as well, though Kolkata had been cooler at 11.1°C on December 28, 2019.
“It is still too early to predict if the temperature drop will lead to a corresponding spurt in the pace of the northwesterly wind. But the possibility is not ruled out. The mercury will hover around the 12°C-13°C mark for three-four days,” said Das.
With regular snowfall occurring across Himalayas and northwest India remaining very cold, the northwesterly wind is flowing into the city at the right time for the mercury to take a plunge. On Sunday, it gained strength, which not only pulled the minimum temperature down but also kept the maximum a degree below normal. “Since there is no system above Bay of Bengal that can come in the way, the northwesterly wind will continue to bring in the chill,” said Das.