Kolkata Temperature: Kolkata recorded its coldest January day in over a decade on Tuesday as the minimum temperature dropped to 10.2°C, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Weather officials have warned that the chill is set to intensify over the next two days.
Cold Wave Tightens Grip Across Region
The IMD said the minimum temperature in the city remained nearly seven degrees below normal, while daytime temperatures are expected to stay three to five degrees lower than usual. Neighbouring areas felt an even sharper bite, with Howrah recording 9°C and Dum Dum 9.5°C, both slipping into cold-wave conditions. Siliguri, in contrast, was relatively warmer at 10.6°C.
Fog, Wind Add To Morning Chill
A thick blanket of fog, accompanied by gusty winds, enveloped large parts of Kolkata on Tuesday morning, reducing visibility and intensifying the cold. Dense fog is likely to persist across most districts, particularly during early morning hours, over the next few days.
How Rare Is This Cold?
Official records show that in the past 15 years, Kolkata’s temperature has dipped below 11°C only once, when it touched 10.9°C in 2023. The city’s coldest January day remains January 14, 1989, when the mercury plunged to 8.4°C. The all-time lowest temperature was recorded in December 1965 at 7.2°C.
Meanwhile, Darjeeling shivered at 3.2°C, while Sriniketan in Birbhum district logged 6.2°C. The Met office said temperatures in southern districts could fall by another 2°C before stabilising later in the week.
Advising caution, the IMD urged elderly people and those with existing health conditions to avoid prolonged exposure to the cold as conditions worsen.
