Many areas of state experience cold wave conditions

Several parts of Bengal were under the grip of cold wave conditions on Sunday with Cooch Behar recording the lowest night temperature of 5.2 degrees Celsius in the plains.

Night temperature at many places in both south and north Bengal was three to five degrees below normal, the Met department said.

Kolkata recorded the lowest night temperature of this season at 11.2 degrees Celsius, which was three notches below normal.

The temperature of the city will remain the same on Monday. The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) Kolkata predicted that Monday’s temperature would be around 11 degree Celsius, which is not much different from Sunday which recorded 11.2 degrees Celsius, which is 3 degree below from the normal temperature. But the temperature will slightly increase on Tuesday.

The temperature of Tuesday would be around 12 degree Celsius, RMC Kolkata predicted. 

Wednesday’s temperature may slightly increase to 13 degree Celsius, RMC Kolkata further predicted.

“This cold spell will continue till Wednesday. The temperature around 13 degree Celsius in Kolkata means fairly a winter condition,” said Ganesh Kuman Das, director, RMC Kolkata.

“We believe that the snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh caused this sudden blow of chilly winds in Kolkata. The icy north-westerly with the speed of 20-30 km per hour, caused sudden dip in temperature,” Das added.

It should be recalled that RMC Kolkata predicted a sharp decrease in city’s temperature last week. Experts at RMC Kolkata predicted that temperature would be come down to 10-12 degree Celsius on Thursday and it would persist till Saturday. The temperature may further decrease after Saturday as well.

Commenting on their earlier forecast, the director of RMC Kolkata said: “We predicted a sharp dip in temperature from Thursday. We also thought, that the cold spell would only continue till last Saturday. But now it will continue till coming Wednesday,” Das told to Millennium Post.  

RMC Kolkata also predicted a prolonged winter till mid of February. “Cool weather will continue till 

February 14-15. A western disturbance may form on Jammu and Kashmir in that time,” Das said.