Kolkata: The minimum temperature slid below 15° Celsius in Kolkata on Saturday, touching 14.6°C, probably for the last time this season.
The Met office predicted it may now climb four to five notches by the middle of next week, before possibly sliding down by two degrees after a shower spell on Thursday. Saturday’s minimum temperature was three degrees below normal.
“The coldest days of winter are over. Saturday had the lowest minimum temperature of the week and there is now very little chance of the minimum temperature sliding below the 15° Celsius mark for the rest of the month,” said Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) director G K Das.
While the minimum may scale up to 19 or 20° Celsius by Wednesday, a cyclonic circulation over Jharkhand around Thursday may pull the mercury back to 17 or 18° Celsius.
“It is too early to determine the magnitude of rainfall. Kolkata’s neighbouring districts are likely to get a thundershower on or after Thursday and some of the clouding may gather over the Kolkata skies,” added Das.
So far, Kolkata has received 6.2 mm of rainfall this Feb, against its monthly rain count of over 22 mm.
Although the week started off with fog and partly cloudy skies, since Friday, the days have been sunny and clear.
A high pressure zone in the south Bay of Bengal may supply an occasional cloud, but Sunday is likely to be sunny.
The maximum temperature is likely to remain close to 25° Celsius well into next week, while cold northwesterly winds are likely to start declining from Monday, taking away the winter chill.