Chill to stay till end of year in West Bengal: Met

KOLKATA: The city woke up to a chilly morning the day after Christmas with the minimum temperature dropping to 12°C — the season’s lowest so far. The Met office on Wednesday predicted that the chill is likely to persist till the end of the year courtesy an uninterrupted flow of the cool northwesterly winds. The maximum temperature on Wednesday was 24.1°C.


“We are likely to see a status quo now. The minimum temperature will continue to be around 12°C-13°C till December 31. Since the maximum temperature is also likely to be lower than normal, the chill will persist. We don’t expect the chill to relent since weather conditions are set to remain the same till the end of the year,” said deputy director-general of meteorology Sanjib Bandopadhyay.

With no other system in the region, the northwesterly will continue to flow into south Bengal unobstructed, said Bandopadhyay. “There is no western disturbance that can cut off the wind. So, the atmosphere will remain dry, with no moisture and the sky will be clear. This will allow the terrestrial heat to escape, resulting in a drop in temperature,” added Bandopadhyay.

There is a possibility of the mercury tumbling further, said weathermen. Sources said if the existing conditions persist, the minimum temperature could plunge to 11°C in the next 48 hours.