Saturday was sunnier than the past couple of days but still chilly.
The minimum temperature was 14.5 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the year. On Friday, it was 16.1 degrees, around two notches above normal.
The chill was felt more because of the low day temperature, said a Met official.
Much of the morning was foggy and the sun came out just before noon. The rest of the afternoon was sunny. But the maximum temperature was 20.2 degrees, close to six notches below normal.
“The minimum temperature dipped. But people felt cold mainly because of the low day temperature,” said G.K. Das, director, India Meteorological Department, Kolkata.
Only three days ago, on January 18, the city spent one the coldest days in recent memory as the maximum dipped to 19.2 degrees on account of a sunless sky and intermittent spells of rain. The minimum that day was 16.3 degrees.
The minimum temperature dipped on Saturday as the moisture content in the atmosphere went slightly down, said a Met official.
Saturday was breezy throughout. The cold winds came from Sikkim.
“Northerly winds from Sikkim are active in Kolkata now. There are some easterly winds from the Bay as well,” the official said.
The chill is going to stay for now. The mornings are going to be foggy.
“A dense layer of fog extends from northern parts of the country to parts of south Bengal. Places like Murshidabad and Birbhum are hardly seeing the sun in the first half of the day. Kolkata is also likely to be foggy in the morning. The day temperature is likely to be on the lower side,” said the official.
Some rain is expected in West and East Midnapore on Sunday and Monday. A drizzle or two is not ruled out in South-24 Parganas and Kolkata.
There is a high-pressure zone on the Bay of Bengal. Though not very strong, the system is sending moisture to Odisha. The districts adjacent to Odisha are more likely to get rain on Sunday and Monday.
Some of the clouds might come Kolkata’s way and bring a drizzle.