‘Kolkata witnesses hottest November in past 22 years’

Kolkata: The city this year witnessed the hottest November in the past 22 years as the lowest temperature hovered over 21 degree Celsius on an average.

According to weather experts, in the current century, the average temperature of November remained over 21 degree Celsius on 3 to 4 occasions, including this year. The MeT officials said there was an instance when the lowest temperature in Kolkata had dropped to 10.6 degree Celsius. It occurred in 1883 which was during the pre-global warming phase. In the current century, the lowest temperature of the city dropped up to 14 degree Celsius in November. In 2012, the city had registered the lowest temperature at around 15 degrees. This year the lowest temperature has hit around 19 degree Celsius.

The average lowest temperature of November should be around 20 degree Celsius but this year it stood over 21 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said the prevailing low-pressure system will intensify into a depression as it moves west-northwestwards along the southeast Bay of Bengal. Light to moderate rainfall is forecast over Karaikal, Puducherry, Mahe, coastal Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu during the next two days. There will be no major impact of the cyclone on Bengal. Coastal districts along north Tamil Nadu and neighbouring southern Andhra Pradesh are bracing for cyclone Michaung early next week. The cyclone is expected to touch the eastern coast during the early hours of Monday. The IMD is yet to share the exact location of the landfall.

Incidentally, an ‘orange’ alert has been issued for Tamil Nadu, coastal and interior Andhra Pradesh for Sunday and Monday, as the cyclone approaches closer to the coast. Enhanced rainfall, squally winds and rough sea conditions will prevail over the southwest Bay of Bengal during the next four days, the Met department said.