At 10.2 degrees C, Kolkata records coldest January day
In 15 years, Kolkata’s minimum temperature has fallen below 11°C only once — in January 2023 at 10.9°C
Kolkata woke to an icy dawn on Tuesday as winter bared its sharpest edge of the season, with the mercury plunging to 10.2 degrees Celsius — the city’s coldest January morning in years, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The chill, far from loosening its grip, is expected to deepen across southern West Bengal over the next two days.
Such cold is a rarity for the city. In the past 15 years, Kolkata’s minimum temperature has slipped below 11 degrees Celsius only once — in January 2023, when it touched 10.9 degrees. Older records tell of deeper chills: 10 degrees Celsius in December 2012 and an all-time low of a biting 7.2 degrees in December 1965.
The cold spread its reach beyond the city limits, dipping below the 10-degree mark in several adjoining areas. Dum Dum shivered at 9.5 degrees, while Howrah recorded an even colder 9 degrees. In the plains, Sriniketan in Birbhum emerged as the coldest spot at 6.2 degrees Celsius, while in the hills, Darjeeling felt a near-freezing 3.2 degrees.
Among other major urban centres, Siliguri logged a minimum of 10.6 degrees Celsius, while Asansol dipped to 8.8 degrees. A dense veil of fog wrapped Kolkata in the morning hours, blurring visibility and adding to the wintry gloom.
The IMD noted that the city’s minimum temperature stood a striking 6.7 degrees below normal. Forecasts suggest the cold wave will intensify further across southern districts, with temperatures likely to fall by another two degrees on Wednesday and Thursday before stabilising for the following four to five days. Daytime highs, too, are expected to remain three to five degrees below normal.
In northern West Bengal, dense fog is set to dominate the early mornings across most districts, reducing visibility and disrupting daily routines. Cold day conditions are also likely in parts of Dakshin Dinajpur, Uttar Dinajpur and Malda.
As winter tightens its hold, the IMD has urged people — especially the elderly and those with existing health conditions — to take necessary precautions against the biting cold.
With PTI inputs