Light rain is on Calcutta’s way just around Makar Sankranti, the Met office said. Starting Friday, the Celsius is tipped to be on an upward trajectory, a Met official said.
“The upper reaches of the country are already under the grip of a western disturbance. Another is in the pipeline. Because of the two systems the northern and north-western parts of the country are likely to see significant snowfall and rain,” said a Met official.
The consecutive systems have prompted the IMD to rule out cold-wave conditions in the northern parts over the next week. The flow of the northwesterly winds will be stalled and the minimum temperature will rise by at least a couple of degrees across north India.
“The effect of the systems will be felt in Bengal as well. One or two spells of rain is likely in south Bengal, including Calcutta, around January 11-12,” said G.K. Das, director, India Meteorological Department, Calcutta.
Gangasagar Mela is scheduled to be held from January 8 to January 14. Makar Sankranti falls on January 14. The city has been under the influence of a reasonably chilly spell for the past few days.
The minimum temperature has been under normal for three straight consecutive days. On Thursday, the minimum temperature was 13 degrees, a notch below normal for this time of the year. It is likely to stay above normal for the next week.
“On Friday, the minimum temperature is likely to be around 14 degrees. Over the next couple of days, it is likely to rise to around 17 degrees,” said a Met official.
“Any rain in the middle of January will bring the day temperature down,” he added. Another spell of chill should be on its way after the western disturbances clear and make way for the cold winds from Kashmir, said the official.