As West Bengal rings in the New Year, the hills of north Bengal are likely to witness a wintry start, with the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Kolkata, forecasting light snowfall and rain in Darjeeling district on January 1 and 2.

According to the IMD, light rain is also likely at isolated places in Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts during the first two days of January. Shallow to moderate fog is expected across most districts during morning hours over the next five days, with isolated dense fog (visibility between 50 m and 200 m) warned for parts of north and central Bengal.

The weather office has also cautioned that “cold day” conditions are very likely at isolated places in some districts within the 1st.

North Bengal:

South Bengal:

North Bengal:

South Bengal:

The IMD said while temperatures in south Bengal are expected to recover slightly, western districts such as Purulia and Asansol are likely to record the lowest minimum temperatures, marking a cold beginning to 2026.