Min dips below 20°C after 2 wks, may start rising today
Times of India | 8 March 2025
Kolkata: The minimum temperature dropped two degrees to touch 18.2°C — three and a half notches below normal — in Kolkata on Friday. It was exactly after two weeks that the minimum plunged to a sub-20°C mark. On Feb 21, Kolkata had recorded a minimum of 18.4°C. While the maximum reached 30.6°C on Friday, the maximum may touch 35°C by March 12, said the Met office.
It was a chilly morning for the second consecutive day after two weeks of above-20°C temperatures. While a sudden influx of cool northwesterly winds pulled the mercury down, it will now rise quickly, the Met office said. The minimum, too, will rise gradually and hover around 24°C-25°C by March 12.
Explaining the sudden chill, RMC scientist Sourish Bandyopadhyay said northwest India remains relatively cool during the first half of March. So, if the northwesterly gets strong, the chill flows into eastern India. But it was an exception, and the northwesterly has weakened. So, the chill will now disappear and the warmth will return on Saturday. "We expect the minimum temperature to be 21°C and the maximum to be 32°C on Saturday," Bandopadhyay said.
A high-pressure zone above central India and the incursion of moisture from the sea through southerly winds will push the temperature up, said weathermen. This will make the mercury rise steadily over the next four-five days. "Both the minimum and the maximum will now climb every day as warm air flows in from central India and the northwesterly withdraws. These will be supplemented by moisture-laden southerly winds from the sea, which will add to the humidity and discomfort," said Bandopadhyay.
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