Min rises to 13.1°C in brief warm-up before chill spell
Times of India | 3 January 2026
Kolkata: After dipping to a 15-year New Year low, temperatures in Kolkata rose slightly on Friday, though both the maximum and minimum remained below normal. The Met office expects the mercury to climb further by Saturday and hover around the normal mark — with a rising trend — before beginning a gradual decline from Tuesday or Wednesday.
On New Year's Eve, the mercury plunged to 11°C. The chill persisted on Thursday, with Alipore recording a minimum of 11.6°C — the lowest for a New Year's Day in a decade and a half. The minimum rose to 13.1°C on Friday, still 1.1 degrees below normal. The maximum temperature, too, edged up from 22.6°C to 23.2°C but remained 1.9 degrees below normal. The Alipore weather office said the minimum and maximum are likely to reach around 14°C and 24°C respectively by Saturday.
"The passage of a western disturbance has weakened the north-westerly winds. At present, we are experiencing a mixed wind pattern at different atmospheric levels, leading to a gradual rise in temperatures. However, once the system moves out completely, the north-westerly winds will strengthen again and the mercury is expected to start declining by the middle of next week," said Met scientist H R Biswas, head of the Regional Meteorological Centre, Kolkata.
The dry, chill-bearing north-westerly wind plays a key role in pulling down temperatures in Kolkata and the rest of the state. While a system like a western disturbance does not directly affect south Bengal, it can block the north-westerly flow and weaken its momentum. At present, the city is receiving winds mainly from central India.
Along with Kolkata, temperatures rose marginally in Salt Lake and Dum Dum, where the Met office recorded minimums of 13.5°C and 12°C respectively. Despite the brief uptick, Met officials said Jan is expected to retain a stable cold feel similar to what Kolkatans experienced in Dec.