Monday was the hottest day of November so far this year in Kolkata.
The maximum temperature was 32.4 degrees, three notches above normal. Before Monday, the hottest day was October 25, when the maximum temperature was 32.5 degrees.
On Monday, the minimum temperature was also three notches above normal at 21.2 degrees. But the effect of the rise in Celsius was felt more acutely during the morning and afternoon.
“I have been wearing a blazer to office for a few days now. But on Monday, it was difficult to keep it on, even while travelling in an app cab with windows open,” said Niladri Sarkar, a relationship manager with a private bank. He was travelling from central Kolkata to Cossipore to meet a client in the morning.
For most part of the day, the overhead sun was harsh on people who had to step out of their homes. “When I was out for my morning walk at 5am, I had a jacket on. But in the afternoon, I had to put on the AC in my car,” said Amitava Adhikari, who drove from his Behala home to his office in Sector V.
The mercury has been on a seesaw ride this November.
Last Monday, the sun stayed hidden behind a thick cloud cover for most of the day. The cloud cover dragged the maximum temperature down to 23.9 degrees, a staggering six notches below what is normal for this time of the year.
The Met office attributed the rise in Celsius to the stalling of north-westerly winds, despite cold conditions gripping the northern parts of the country.
“A high-pressure area has been created over Bay of Bengal. The flow of wind is always from high-pressure to low-pressure areas. The warm and moist winds from the Bay are stalling the flow of the cold north-westerly winds from the north,” said G.K. Das, director, India Meteorological Department, Kolkata.
“The coastal districts of Bengal are likely to get some rain on Tuesday. In Kolkata, the sky is likely to remain cloudy,” he added.
The mercury will continue to fluctuate in the city.
“From Wednesday, the temperature will go down. In the weekend, the Celsius is likely to dip to the 18-degree range again,” said Das.