Kolkata records sharp drop in temperature as winter sets in
The Statesman | 7 December 2025
Kolkata experienced a significant drop in temperature on Saturday morning, indicating that winter may be firmly settling over south Bengal.
The minimum temperature dropped by three degrees in a single day, sliding from 17 degrees Celsius on Friday to 14 degrees Celsius on Saturday. The city’s recorded minimum was 14.5 degrees Celsius, which is 2.1 degrees below normal.
The maximum temperature on Friday also stayed below normal at 26.7 degrees Celsius, which is 1.4 degrees lower than usual.
With no significant low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal at the moment, the flow of cold northwesterly winds remains uninterrupted.
The Alipore Meteorological Office has forecast that night temperatures in south Bengal may dip by another two degrees over the next 48 hours.
North Bengal, however, is expected to see no major change. The weather will remain dry across the state, with no possibility of rain anywhere.
Fog conditions are also intensifying with the advancing winter.
The Met office has issued fog alerts for multiple districts in both north and south Bengal.
In the north, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, and Alipurduar are likely to witness moderate to dense fog in the early hours.
In the south, East Burdwan, West Burdwan, Birbhum, Bankura, Purulia, and Jhargram are expected to face similar conditions.
Visibility in these areas may drop to 200 metres and, at times, as low as 99 metres, affecting road movement. Kolkata, too, saw patches of light fog early on Saturday.
This season, not just West Bengal but several Indian states are expected to experience colder-than-usual conditions.
A recent report from the World Meteorological Organization indicates that northern India may see a particularly prolonged and intense winter, with the influence of La Niña increasing the likelihood of extended cold spells.