Kolkata, 27 December (H.S.): The cold wave has once again intensified across West Bengal, with temperatures dropping sharply after Christmas. Kolkata witnessed a significant fall in mercury on Friday morning, as the minimum temperature dipped to around 12 degrees Celsius, compared to 13 degrees recorded a day earlier, marking the coldest day of the season so far.

Not only Kolkata, but the entire West Bengal is experiencing the effects of the cold. With the departure of the Western Disturbance, cold winds from the north are entering the state without any obstruction. As a result, the plains have become even colder than the hilly areas. On Friday, the temperature in Sriniketan in Birbhum district dropped to eight degrees Celsius, surpassing even Kalimpong.

According to Alipore Meteorological Department, the minimum temperature in Alipore on Saturday was recorded at 12.9 degrees Celsius, which is 1.6 degrees below normal. The maximum temperature during the day on Friday was also only 21.2 degrees Celsius, which was 4.4 degrees below normal. The minimum temperature in Dum Dum was even lower than Alipore, recorded at 12.2 degrees Celsius.

The Meteorological Department has stated that the sky will remain clear on Saturday. Light to moderate fog may persist in some areas during the morning. The night temperatures are likely to drop further by one to two degrees in the next two days. After that, no major change in temperature is expected for the next three days.

In North Bengal, no significant change in temperature is expected for the next seven days. Darjeeling is the coldest in the state, where the minimum temperature on Saturday was recorded at 5.4 degrees Celsius. Alipurduar and Sriniketan in Birbhum jointly held the second position with a temperature of eight degrees Celsius.

A fog warning has been issued for most parts of the state. Due to light to moderate fog in the districts of South Bengal during the morning hours, visibility may decrease from 999 meters to as low as 200 meters. A warning of dense fog and severe cold has been issued for North Bengal.

The situation remains most critical in Cooch Behar. On Friday evening, visibility there dropped to near zero due to dense fog. The Meteorological Department has stated that severe cold conditions will persist in Cooch Behar for the next three days. An orange alert for cold weather has been issued for this district.

The Meteorological Department has also indicated that a Western Disturbance may become active on December 31st. This could lead to a slight increase in temperature at the beginning of the new year, although the extent of this increase is not yet clear.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey