Max breaches 30°C mark after 3 months, may touch 31°C by Sat

Kolkata: The maximum temperature in Kolkata crossed the 30°C mark on Wednesday after close to three months. At 30.4°C, the day temperature was 0.4 notches above normal. The last time Kolkata recorded 30°C was on Nov 19, before the mercury dip began as a prelude to the consistent winter Kolkata witnessed this time.Although the Met office expects no large change in temperature over the next two days, the maximum could touch 31°C by Saturday. The minimum temperature, which stood at 17.4°C degrees on Wednesday, is likely to touch 20°C by then.
"At present, the normal maximum temperature for Kolkata is 30°C. This might go up further and touch 31°C in the next two-three days. The nights, too, are expected to become slightly warmer, with a gradual rise in temperature of about two-three notches. This mercury rise is seasonal and is not under the impact of any major weather system," said meteorologist H R Biswas, head of the Regional Meteorological Centre, Kolkata.The maximum temperature had constantly remained below 30°C since Nov 21. It plunged as low as 18°C on Jan 6, making it the lowest for Jan in about a decade.Before Wednesday, the maximum temperature this February had breached the normal mark only once, on Feb 11, when it touched 29.2°C. Despite the slight mercury swing, it stayed below normal on 16 out of 18 days so far this month.With no major system like a western disturbance or low pressure area, the city got the dry and cold north-westerly wind system in Dec and Jan, ensuring a sustained winter vibe.The night temperature, which has stayed below the normal mark on 17 out of 18 days, ensured a slight cold feeling in the early mornings. But with the Met office expecting a gradual rise in minimum temperature, the nights and early mornings are also likely to become warmer.Met officials said that the city is still getting the dry north-westerly wind, which, in turn, is preventing the mercury from shooting up sharply. However, this wind is now not potent enough to cause a dip in mercury.Once the city starts getting moist air from the Bay of Bengal, the heat and humidity can start rising rapidly, pushing up the discomfort factor. "The fact that people are not perspiring despite the mercury touching 30°C is because the moisture content in the lower atmosphere is still low. We are still getting the dry northerly or north-westerly wind. The temperature is rising mainly due to daytime heating," Biswas said.The IMD sees no major weather system in the next week that could cause a sharp mercury rise in the city. Though a low-pressure area has formed over Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal, Met officials said this system will have no direct impact on Bengal.