Mercury to climb in city from today, rain likely on Jan 2-3

Kolkata: The temperature in the city and other South Bengal districts will slightly go up from Tuesday due to the impact of western disturbance, predicted the Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore on Monday. The city may stay dry on January 1 but it is likely to rain on January 2 and 3.

The cold wave situation has already been announced in various districts of North Bengal like Darjeeling, Malda, North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur. However, temperature in North Bengal is also likely to slide up due to the influence of western disturbance.

The lowest temperature in the city stood at 11.4 degree Celsius on Monday, which is two degrees below normal.

"The temperature may slightly go up from Tuesday owing to the western disturbance, but the cold wave situation will prevail in both North and South Bengal districts. Due to an interaction between the western disturbance and easterly wind it would rain in the Western districts like Purulia, Bankura and Birbhum at the beginning of the new year," a senior weather official said.

He further mentioned: "There will be no rainfall in the city on January 1 and the sky will remain mostly clear. There may be light to moderate rainfall in the city from January 2-3. During the latter half of January 2 the rain will subside. The western disturbance will be weakened from January 3. The lowest temperature in the city will be between 12-13 degree Celsius in the next couple of days, while the highest temperature may remain between 22-24 degrees."

According to the official, the North Bengal districts may also receive light to moderate rainfall on January 3 and the cold wave situation will continue. Darjeeling may receive snowfall after January 3, once the impact of the western disturbance wears off.

There is also a prediction of thick fog in the early morning hours in North Bengal districts in the next few days.

It may be mentioned that the mercury has plunged below 7 degrees in most of the North Bengal districts. The lowest temperature stood at 4.4 degree in Darjeeling, with 6.2 degree in Coochbehar, 6.8 degree in Jalpaiguri and 8.2 degree in Malda.

Meanwhile, in most of the areas in the western parts of the state, the temperature remained below 10 degrees. Asansol recorded 8.9 degree on Monday, with 9.6 degree in Bankura and 9 degree in Burdwan. Barrackpore in North 24-Parganas recorded 10.8 degree, with 11 degree in Canning in South 24-Parganas and 7.5 and 9.9 degree respectively in Contai and Digha in East Midnapore.