Kolkata has been unusually cold since Monday, sparking widespread claims of a cold wave sweeping the city. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has, however, dismissed these reports as false. Weather officials say the chill is a result of stable winter conditions, lower daytime temperatures and the absence of rain, rather than an official cold wave situation.
As reported, the city experienced a maximum temperature of just 18.2 degree Celsius on Monday, seven degrees below what is typical for late December and the lowest day temperature recorded in Alipore since 29 December, 2012. Moisture and fog in the lower atmosphere dragged down daytime warmth, keeping the sun hidden for much of the morning and contributing to the prolonged cold feel even in the afternoon.
As the mercury dipped over the past few days, social media buzzed with claims that Kolkata was in the grip of a cold wave. The Regional Meteorological Centre in Kolkata has clarified that no such alert has been issued for the city.
“There is no cold wave alert,” said H.R. Biswas, head of the weather section at the Regional Meteorological Centre in Kolkata. He explained that a cold wave is declared only when minimum temperatures fall below 10 degrees Celsius. “In Kolkata, the minimum temperature has stayed above that mark. Only in Bankura did the minimum temperature briefly dip below 10 degrees,” he said.
Biswas added that what the city is experiencing is a steady winter chill rather than an extreme event. “The cold has been stable this December since there were no winter rains in south Bengal. When there is rain, temperatures fluctuate. This time, the absence of rain has kept the temperatures consistently low,” he said.
According to the IMD, the maximum temperature in Kolkata dropped significantly over the past few days, making afternoons feel colder than usual. “People tend to associate cold waves with sharp drops, but here the pattern is seasonal and typical. Every year, around this time, we see similar temperatures,” Biswas said, adding that it is possible for the city to feel among its coldest days of the season during this period.
The local forecast for the next few days suggests shallow fog or mist during the morning and forenoon, followed by clearer skies in the afternoon. Maximum temperatures are expected to gradually rise from around 20 degrees Celsius to 23 or 24 degrees by early January, while minimum temperatures will hover between 13 and 16 degrees Celsius.
“There is no chance of rain in the next seven days in south Bengal. Some rainfall may occur in north Bengal in the next two to three days, but Kolkata will remain dry,” Biswas said.
With foggy mornings, cool nights and increasingly comfortable afternoons, the city is set to continue experiencing a winter-standard week. The chill, meteorologists say, is seasonal, steady and far from alarming.
