The minimum temperature dipped to 18.7 degrees, a notch below normal, in Kolkata on Wednesday.
The Met office has not ruled out a further slide over the next 48 hours but from Friday, the weather will start getting warmer again.
“The sky is clear and the cold winds are entering the city. This will continue till Friday. But another low-pressure area is positioned over southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas, off south Andhra and north Tamil Nadu coast,” said G.K. Das, director, IMD, Kolkata.
“As the system moves towards land, easterly winds will flow into Kolkata. The amount of moisture will increase and the temperature will go up,” said Das.
On Wednesday, however, the cold and dry north-westerly winds had some bite, especially in the early hours.
Morning walkers wore an added layer of clothing, kids headed to school had blazers on them and bikers wore jackets.
The minimum temperature had fluctuated by almost five degrees from Saturday, when it was 23.3 degrees, three notches above normal.
On November 5, the Celsius dropped below 20 degrees on Friday for the first time this season. A couple of days later, it had plunged to 18.3 degrees, the lowest this season.
But a low-pressure area over Andaman Sea which triggered the formation of a trough of low-pressure from Tamil Nadu to Bengal, led to moisture incursion into Kolkata. As a result, last weekend was cloudy and some areas in the city got a drizzle or two.
The moisture in the air stalled the flow of north-westerly winds and the minimum temperature started going up. But the maximum temperature fell drastically — from the 29-degree range to 23 degrees — because of the low day temperature.
With clear sky and bright sunlight, the maximum temperature has again climbed up to the 29-degree range.