Kolkata's Winter Chill Disappears as Mercury Soars Above 30 Degrees
The characteristic wintry atmosphere of Kolkata has completely vanished, with night temperatures inching towards 20 degrees Celsius and daytime readings consistently crossing the 30-degree mark. Meteorological officials confirm that the dry northwesterly winds, which typically bring cooler conditions, are already weakening significantly.
Temperature Spike Marks End of Prolonged Cold Spell
The minimum temperature in Kolkata rose to 19.2 degrees Celsius on Friday, representing a jump of more than two degrees from Thursday's reading. While still marginally below normal by 0.3 degrees, this marked the warmest night since November 21, breaking a three-month streak of temperatures consistently below 19 degrees.
"The night temperature is likely to increase slightly further and hit 21 degrees in the next two to three days," said meteorologist HR Biswas, head of Regional Meteorological Centre Kolkata. "We can expect the day maximum temperature to fluctuate between 30 and 32 in the next one week."
Record-Breaking Winter Now a Distant Memory
Winter 2025-26 had brought exceptionally chilly conditions to the city, with the mercury plunging to a season's lowest of 10.2 degrees on January 6. Despite gradual warming since then, temperatures remained below normal on 19 out of 20 days in February.
The maximum temperature reached 30 degrees on Wednesday and has stayed above normal for three consecutive days. On Friday, it breached 30 degrees to reach 31.1 degrees, which is 1.1 degrees higher than normal.
Wind Pattern Shift Brings Thunderstorm Potential
Meteorological officials attribute the warming trend to weakening northwesterly winds. While Kolkata continues to receive some dry wind, its pace has become too feeble to prevent temperatures from rising. Within a day or two, this wind system is expected to be overtaken by warm, moist winds from the Bay of Bengal.
The moisture injected by these Bay winds will be potent enough to form thunder clouds, according to weather experts. Along with the changing wind patterns, an expected western disturbance may further impact the city's temperature in coming days.
Coastal Areas Face Thunderstorm Threat
The Meteorological Office has predicted thunderstorm activities between Monday and Tuesday for some coastal areas in Bengal. However, it remains uncertain whether Kolkata and Howrah will fall within this thunderstorm zone.
"Due to the moisture incursion, we are expecting thunder cloud formation," explained a meteorologist identified as Das. "While there is high possibility of moderate to light thundershower activities along the coastal areas of East and West Midnapore, South and North 24 Parganas and Jhargram between Monday and Tuesday, it is not yet clear if Kolkata and Howrah will get its share of rain during this period."
Even if rainfall doesn't materialize in the city, meteorologists confirm that Kolkata's skies will likely develop significant cloud cover as the weather system approaches.
