At 20°C, Kolkata records lowest min temp this season
Times of India | 15 November 2024
Kolkata: A nip in the air greeted Kolkatans on Friday morning when the city recorded its lowest minimum temperature this season, 20°C, although the maximum climbed marginally to touch 30°C from Thursday's 29.4°C. With the northwesterly wind getting stronger, the mercury dip could continue and the minimum temperature may drop below 20°C on Saturday and touch 18°C by Sunday.
The minimum temperature dropped two degrees from Thursday's 22.1°C. "The northwesterly has been flowing in since last week but not at all levels. But it has now gained strength and is flowing in more consistently. The south-easterly was active, which prevented a significant drop in temperature until this week. It has now started changing, and we are likely to see the minimum temperature drop below 20°C by Sunday. It could settle between 18°C and 19°C on Saturday," said Regional Meteorological Centre scientist H R Biswas.
Many morning walkers chose to wear woollens on Friday. It got slightly warmer as the day progressed since the maximum temperature jumped by a degree. But the early morning chill will persist, said weathermen.
It is the northwesterly that pulls down the temperature in the region, and the more it flows unobstructed, the lower the temperature would be. But the northwesterly usually doesn't have a significant impact before the end of Nov. "It has been active but not at all levels of the atmosphere, which is necessary for a temperature drop. The city remained partially cloudy last week, and there was intermittent fog due to the incursion of south-easterly winds. Since there was moisture in the air, the mercury has not dropped over the last several days. But with the northwesterly getting stronger, it could now start dipping very slowly and the maximum could touch 18°C on Sunday," Biswas said.
Another factor that helps pull the temperature down is western disturbance. These are systems that form in the northwestern part of the subcontinent and float eastward, triggering rain. "They form in the northwestern hills and travel to north Indian plains. The cloud cover generated by them pulls the mercury down and helps usher in winter. Such systems have formed over north Indian plains but their impact will not be felt in south Bengal. Sikkim has been affected by it," said Biswas.
The first significant mercury drop, however, is triggered by winds flowing in from the chilly, snow-covered peaks of Kashmir. "Once it starts snowing in the Himalayas, the chill travels fast with the northwesterly blowing across the north Indian plains. But that is still some weeks away," said a weather scientist.