Bhubaneswar, Dec. 17: Winter has finally arrived in the city, though a cold wave may still be far away.

The formation of a cyclone over coastal Bangladesh has turned Bhubaneswar's weather foggy and wintry, though the actual chill of the winter is still far away, said weathermen.

The city has not seen the sun since the weekend and has experienced occasional drizzles.

"Some regions of the state have already experienced showers. The southern and coastal parts may get a little more rainfall during December 17 and 18 and again during December 20 and 21. The weather in the city will continue to be foggy and wintry till the entire next week, though there may not be much rain here," said R. Marandi, director in charge of Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre.

The sky remained cloudy throughout the day today. Residents felt the chill in the air even around noon. The constant breeze has added to the chill factor.

However, a Met official said the sudden dip in the mercury due to the cyclonic formation couldn't be compared with the usual winter weather.

"Now, the mercury stands at 19.8°C. But, the city's minimum temperature should be about 15°C during this time of the year. Similarly, the coldest area in the state at present, Jharsuguda, is witnessing a temperature of 11.8°C, whereas it should have reached about 6°C by now," said Marandi.

Residents, however, are enjoying the sudden dip in temperature.

"There was no sign of winter even a few days ago. But now, the weather is pleasant and not very cold. The best part is that the weather is cloudy throughout the day and hence very pleasant," said Prerana, a college student.

Picnickers have started chalking out their itineraries for fun, frolic and get together.

Residents have also brought out their winter gears out of the shelves.

The weather has brought smiles on the faces of the traders selling winter garments as they have started doing brisk business.

"We have stocks from Delhi, Punjab and Kashmir. The sales records, which were very poor even a few days ago, have witnessed a sudden spurt," said Prafulla Sahu, a winter clothes trader who has a shop at the Unit-I market.

"It seems that the winters are getting delayed in Bhubaneswar with every passing year. Even a few years ago, winter used to arrive by October. However, the sudden chill in the air has renewed the demand for shawls, stoles, sweaters, woollen caps and other winter accessories," said Sahu.