A fresh spell of biting cold is on its way to Calcutta, the Met office said.
The forecast indicates that both the maximum and minimum temperatures are anticipated to remain significantly below normal.
The minimum slid to 11° Celsius on the last day of 2025, the lowest so far this season. The Met office has not ruled out the possibility of a further drop this week.
On Sunday, the minimum temperature went up to around 15°C, slightly above normal. But the day felt much colder. It was because the day temperature dropped to 19.2°C, six notches below normal.
A Met official linked the low day temperature to a shallow but persistent layer of fog near the earth’s surface and low clouds in the lower levels of the atmosphere. Together, they kept the sun subdued for a long time.
“Northwesterly winds are already active. They will get stronger now. Both the maximum and minimum temperatures in south Bengal are expected to stay below normal. In north Bengal, the slide will be sharper,” said a Met official.
“In Calcutta, the minimum temperature is expected to drop to around 12°C in a couple of days. A further drop is also likely as the week progresses. The day temperature will go up from what it was on Sunday, but only marginally. The day will still feel very cold,” said the official.
On Monday, dense fog is expected in north Bengal and Birbhum, Murshidabad and West Burdwan in south Bengal. Other parts of south Bengal, including Calcutta, are likely to see shallow to moderate fog, according to the forecast.
“Dense to very dense fog is likely to continue during night/morning hours over north and adjoining central India during the next seven days,” said a national bulletin from the IMD.
The fog in Bengal is not local and isolated. It is an extension of — but not as dense as — the fog covering swathes of north India, said a Met official in Calcutta.
The higher reaches of Sikkim got snowfall on Sunday. Another round is expected on Monday. Darjeeling, Kalimpong and other parts of the hills in north Bengal are likely to get some rain.
“A cyclonic circulation over Bangladesh is sending some moisture to the hills,” said the Met official.