Kolkata, Dec 27 (IANS) The unusual dip in minimum temperatures continued across West Bengal due to the free flow of cool northerly winds even as Kolkata recorded its coldest day of the season on Saturday, with the minimum temperature dropping to 12.8 degrees Celsius.

Winter has firmly set in across the state during the final week of December, with minimum temperatures in Kolkata and other parts of south Bengal steadily declining over the past few days. The mercury fell further on Saturday, making it the coldest day of the season so far.

On Thursday, the minimum temperature in Kolkata dropped to 13.7 degrees Celsius, the lowest until then. This record was broken on Friday when the temperature fell to 12.9 degrees Celsius. On Saturday, it dipped marginally further to 12.8 degrees Celsius, which is one degree below normal. Meanwhile, the maximum temperature in the city on Friday was recorded at 21.2 degrees Celsius, around 4.4 degrees below normal.

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Alipore said temperatures are likely to remain similar over the next few days, with the possibility of a further drop.

The sky over Kolkata is expected to remain mostly clear and cloudless through Sunday. However, morning fog is likely.

A fog warning has been issued for almost all districts of South Bengal. Light to moderate fog may reduce visibility to between 999 metres and 200 metres. Dense fog is expected in north Bengal, where visibility may drop sharply to between 199 metres and 50 metres. A dense fog warning has been issued for all northern districts for Saturday and Sunday.

There is unlikely to be any significant change in temperatures in north Bengal over the next seven days.

Meanwhile, Sriniketan in Birbhum district has emerged as the coldest place in south Bengal over the past few days, recording temperatures lower than even some parts of north Bengal, such as Kalimpong and Alipurduar. On Saturday, Sriniketan recorded a minimum temperature of 9.7 degrees Celsius, the lowest in south Bengal.

Other minimum temperatures recorded across the state included 9.9 degrees Celsius in Bankura; 10.2 degrees Celsius in Purulia and Kalyani; 10 degrees Celsius in Burdwan; 10.6 degrees Celsius in Asansol; 11 degrees Celsius in Uluberia, Canning, Suri and Jhargram; 11.2 degrees Celsius in Midnapore and Krishnanagar; 11.4 degrees Celsius in Berhampore; 11.5 degrees Celsius in Contai; 11.3 degrees Celsius in Panagarh; 11.6 degrees Celsius in Digha; 12.2 degrees Celsius in Barrackpore; and 12.6 degrees Celsius in Diamond Harbour.

Darjeeling recorded a minimum temperature of 5.8 degrees Celsius on Saturday, while Kalimpong logged 9.5 degrees Celsius and Raiganj 10 degrees Celsius.

–IANS

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