The winter chill has tightened its grip on West Bengal, with the hill station of Darjeeling recording a bone-numbing minimum temperature of 1 degree Celsius on Thursday. Meanwhile, Kolkata witnessed a marginal respite, with the Alipore observatory logging 11.6°C, a slight rise from the previous day's 10.3°C.
State Shivers as Temperatures Plunge Below Normal
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), winter conditions continue to prevail across South Bengal. Sriniketan recorded the lowest minimum temperature in the southern part of the state at 7°C. In the northern plains, AMFU Majhian was the coldest at 7.8°C. This comes after Kolkata experienced one of its coldest January nights in 13 years on Tuesday, when the mercury plunged to 10.2°C.
The IMD has stated that despite the slight uptick in Kolkata, the weather remains significantly cooler than the seasonal average. An IMD officer noted, "Minimum Temperature is 11.6°C (2.3°C below normal), while the maximum temperature is expected to hover around 22°C (2.7°C below normal)."
Fog Disrupts Visibility, Cold-Day Conditions Persist
Dense fog severely impacted several northern districts, reducing visibility to between 50 and 200 meters in Coochbehar, Jalpaiguri, and Darjeeling. Shallow to moderate fog was also reported in North and South 24 Parganas, Kolkata, and Malda. The IMD has specifically identified cold-day conditions in the East Midnapore district.
For the weekend of January 10–11, the forecast predicts a persistent cold spell across West Bengal. In Kolkata and South Bengal, minimum temperatures are likely to range between 11°C and 13°C, while daytime maximums will struggle to reach 23–24°C under mainly clear skies initially.
Brief Respite to be Followed by Hazy, Colder Days
While Kolkata saw a brief warm-up compared to Tuesday's daytime high of 18°C, weather experts warn this relief will be short-lived. Starting Friday, a change in wind patterns is expected to bring moisture into the atmosphere. This will likely lead to increased cloud cover and hazier skies over the weekend.
The absence of strong sunlight could make daytime feel significantly colder again, even if night temperatures remain stable. The IMD has predicted shallow to moderate fog during the early morning hours in Kolkata and its suburbs, with skies clearing as the day progresses.
In North Bengal, biting northwesterly winds are expected to maintain the winter chill. Districts like Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri may continue to experience "cold day" conditions with dense morning fog. Although a gradual temperature rise is possible by Sunday, the weekend is set to be one of the colder stretches of the month. The IMD officer added, "Though the extreme 'cold-wave' conditions have softened slightly today, both day and night temperatures will remain below normal for the foreseeable future."
