City records coldest January day as min temp drops to 10.2°C
The Statesman | 6 January 2026
Kolkata recorded its coldest January day of all time on Tuesday, with the minimum temperature plunging to 10.2 degrees Celsius, the lowest ever for the month in the city.
The mercury dipped even further in some suburban and adjoining areas, falling below the 10-degree mark in the early hours.
A thin layer of fog was seen over Kolkata during the early morning hours.
However, dense fog had started enveloping the suburbs and nearby districts from late Monday night and continued into Tuesday morning.
According to weather records, Kolkata’s minimum temperature had fallen below 11 degrees Celsius only once in the past 15 years during January.
In January 2023, the city recorded a low of 10.9 degrees Celsius. This year’s temperature has gone even lower.
Earlier, the minimum temperature had touched 10 degrees Celsius once in December 2012, while the lowest-ever temperature recorded in the city was 7.2 degrees Celsius in December 1965.
The cold spell is expected to intensify further across Kolkata and the Gangetic South Bengal districts over the next two days.
Night temperatures in South Bengal may drop by another two degrees on Wednesday and Thursday.
After that, temperatures are likely to remain largely stable for the next four to five days.
Daytime maximum temperatures during this period are expected to stay three to five degrees below normal.
‘Cold day’ conditions ~ when maximum temperatures remain significantly below normal ~ may prevail on Tuesday in parts of East and West Burdwan, Bankura, Birbhum, Murshidabad and Nadia.
Similar conditions are likely to continue in all these districts except Bankura on Wednesday. Warnings for dense fog have also been issued for Murshidabad and Nadia.
In North Bengal, dense fog is expected to persist across most districts over the next few days, particularly during early morning hours, leading to reduced visibility.
‘Cold day’ conditions may also develop in North and South Dinajpur and Malda.