Year's coldest day may be during Dec 3rd week

Kolkata: Mercury may drop below 13 degree Celsius in the city in the beginning of next week and there will be a steady flow of cold northern winds, predicted the Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore.

Various South Bengal districts have been witnessing foggy weather in the mornings for the last couple of days and the situation may continue in the next few days as well. Mercury has already hit below 11 degree Celsius in some of the western parts of the state. Temperature in Panagarh in West Burdwan in Santiniketan in Birbhum has been hovering around 11 degrees Celsius whereas in Purulia the mercury has already gone down below 11 degree Celsius.

The city registered its lowest temperature at around 14.2 degree Celsius on Thursday. Temperature in various northern states also dropped by almost 5 degrees after snowfall occurred in Jammu Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. In Bengal, the average highest temperature remained at around 26 degree while the lowest average temperature in December so far stood at around 13 degree Celsius. During the last year, the average lowest temperature remained at around 18 degree Celsius and the highest temperature at around 26 degree Celsius same as this year.

Weather experts in the city have said that Bengal may witness the coldest day of the year during the third week of this month similar to what was witnessed last year. In 2020, the state had registered the lowest temperature in the third week with the mercury dropping to almost 10 degree Celsius. State may witness a similar trend this year as well and city dwellers may witness the coldest day of the year in the third or fourth week.

The Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore predicted that a cold wave may sweep through various South Bengal districts like East and West Burdwan, Purulia and Birbhum towards the end of the week. Last year, the temperature was recorded at 5 degree Celsius in Panagarh of West Burdwan and 7 degree Celsius in Purulia.

Weather experts have said that Bengal may witness a similar situation this year owing to La Nina which is expected to blow over east and north India between December this year and February next year. La Nina is a weather pattern that occurs in the Pacific Ocean under the impact of which strong winds blow from warm water at the ocean's surface from South America to Indonesia. It brings cold air to the Indian sub-continent from Siberia and South China as warm water moves towards west and cold water rises to the surface. La Nina is Spanish terminology, meaning 'little girl'.