Kolkata: The minimum temperature plunged 3.6°C and dropped to 12.4°C as chill returned to Kolkata on Monday. It will get cooler as the week progresses, with the northwesterly winds set to gain intensity over the next 3-4 days, said the Met office. By Jan 15, the mercury may slide to 11°C, it was predicted. The city recorded a minimum of 15°C on Sunday.
Other than the northwesterly, which was halted briefly by clouds floating in from a low-pressure system off the southern coast, the presence of moisture in the middle and upper layers of the atmosphere will also contribute to the return of chill, said weathermen. "We will now see a marginal drop in mercury. By Jan 15, it could drop to 11°C. Over the next one week, the minimum temperature will hover around 11°C-12°C," said Regional Meteorological Centre weather scientist Sourish Bandyopadhyay. The maximum, too, could slide by a degree in the course of the week. From 23.7°C on Monday, it could slide to 22°C. "Once the mercury starts dropping, the maximum could even slide to 20°C or below, but as of now, there are no such indications," he added.
Kolkata so far saw a relatively severe winter, with the mercury remaining below the normal mark consistently since mid-Dec. The city so far recorded a lowest of 10.2°C this season on Jan 6, which is also the lowest recorded in the city in 13 years.
The reason behind the consistent chill was the lack of systems and WDs, said weathermen. "There were fewer systems that could block the northwesterly. The chilly winds were flowing in more steadily than previous years, keeping the mercury below the normal mark. With the skies set to remain clear, the winds will continue and the chill will persist across south Bengal over the next week," said a weather scientist.