This Christmas to be coldest in three years

Kolkata: The Alipore Weather office on Thursday predicted that this Christmas will be the coldest in the last three years. The temperature, which is hovering between 15 and 16 degree Celsius is likely to dip to 14 degree Celsius on Monday, the day of Christmas.

"The minimum temperature is likely to be around 14 degree Celsius on Christmas morning. As per current weather conditions, there is hardly any chance of depression," said Ganesh Kumar Das, director, India Meteorological Department, Calcutta.

Last year, the mercury was at 17.1 degrees on December 25 and even higher at 18.1 degrees Celsius the year before.

The minimum temperature on Thursday was 16.2 degree Celsius, two degrees above normal in Kolkata.

"There is no sting in the north-westerly wind blowing into the city at present. That's why the minimum temperature is above normal," a senior weather department official said.

However, in most districts of South Bengal like Bankura, Purulia and Birbhum, temperatures remained slightly below normal and it will persist for the next few days.

Temperature in the districts of North Bengal is slightly above normal thanks to the formation of dense fog in the morning.

"The Western Disturbance has come to Kashmir. A wind takes three to four days to arrive in the city from the Himalayas. The actual travel time depends on the wind speed," the Met official added.

The minimum temperature is likely to read 15 degrees on Christmas Eve and 14 degrees on Christmas. The cold spell is expected to last for a few days.