- Tuesday: Minimum temperature 21.8 degrees Celsius
- Thursday: Minimum temperature 16.7 degrees Celsius
The Celsius has taken a 5-degree plunge in Kolkata in a span of 48 hours, riding cool northwesterly winds.
The Met office recorded a minimum temperature of 16.7 degrees in Alipore on Thursday.
It was normal for this time of the year. But since the early morning temperatures had been several notches above normal for the past few days, the hint of chill was unmissable on Thursday.
On Tuesday, the minimum — 21.8 degrees — was a staggering five notches above normal.
The minimum is likely to go marginally down on Friday, according to the Met forecast.
“There were two systems, a cyclonic circulation over north Bengal and another over Bangladesh. Under the influence of the two systems, there was a rise in moisture incursion and a subsequent rise in the Celsius. Now that the two systems have dissipated, the northwesterly winds are having a free run again,” said G.K. Das, director, India Meteorological Department, Kolkata.
The difference was clear in the sky. On Thursday, the sky was clear and blue. It was nothing like the hazy and cloudy sky that Kolkatans had been seeing for the past couple of days.
The minimum relative humidity, which had been hovering close to 60 per cent for the past two days, dropped to 33 per cent on Thursday.
The cold and dry winds dragged the day temperature down as well.
The next couple of days are likely to have a hint of chill in Kolkata. But winter is in its last leg and the temperature will again start rising gradually from next week.
“The minimum temperature may go down by another notch before starting to go up from Monday. That way, this weekend may be Kolkata’s last tryst with the Celsius staying in the 15-degree range for this season,” said a Met official.
Despite the Celsius climbing up from next week, there is hardly any chance of rain in Kolkata in the next few days.