After nearly 3 months, city max temp approaches 30°C
Times of India | 12 February 2026
Kolkata: The maximum temperature in the city is inching towards 30°C after a gap of nearly three months. On Wednesday, the Alipore Met office recorded a maximum temperature of 29.2°C, the highest since Nov 22 last year. Met officials said this rise in mercury was seasonal, and no abrupt increase is expected in the next one week, negating fears of immediate sweaty days.
At 29.2°C, Wednesday's maximum temperature was 0.3 degrees above normal. While the days are gradually getting warmer, the night temperature remained below the normal mark. At 15.6°C, the minimum temperature in Kolkata on Wednesday was 2.1 notches below the normal mark.
"The maximum temperature will hover between 28°C and 30°C over the next one week while the minimum temperature is expected to swing between 16°C and 18°C during this period, pulling the mercury near or slightly below normal. The temperature fluctuation will be marginal and gradual. This winter, the cold feeling was quite consistent, with both the maximum and minimum temperatures being mostly below normal. Hence, a slight rise might make people feel warmer," said meteorologist H R Biswas, head at the Regional Meteorological Centre, Kolkata.
The last time Kolkata logged a maximum temperature in the 30s was on Nov 20, when Alipore recorded 30.1°C. After that, the day temperature remained below the normal mark on most days. In fact, out of the 11 days this Feb, it stayed below normal on nine days. The minimum temperature, hovering between 14°C and 16°C this month, crossed the normal mark only on one day.
A western disturbance that loomed large over north-western regions has now moved away. Though the city is getting the dry and cold northerly wind, since solar insulation is increasing in regions from where the wind comes, this wind system is no longer bringing in the chill factor.
"This wind system is now not potent enough to drag the mercury down, as daytime solar insulation is gradually increasing in regions from where this system originates. Hence, we can expect the days to get gradually warmer while at night and early mornings, it could be pleasant or slightly cold," Biswas added.