Monday was the hottest day of the season so far and Holi on Wednesday could be the hottest of the decade, warns the weather office.

The maximum temperature rose two notches in 24 hours to reach 37.6 degrees Celsius at 2.30pm on Monday. There are indications it could shoot up to 39 degrees over the next two days.

But not everyone is complaining. A cold breeze has spoiled many a wet Holi and a warm Wednesday promises just the right Celsius burn for a long day in drenched clothes.

“The hot sun is any day better than a cold Holi. I have often caught a cold after being drenched for hours on Holi. The chances of that would be less this time,” said bank employee Urvashi Gupta, 24, a resident of Golpark.

The hardcore Holi reveller may be temporarily thrilled but it’s time to brace for the rise to the peak of the year’s cruellest spell of weather, stretching right until late November.

For those too excited by Holi to be bothered about a terribly hot Wednesday, dermatologist and t2 columnist Sachin Verma had this piece of advice: “Wear a wide hat (bright and colourful) to maximise your sun protection and keep your head cool. Wear light cottons in white, which will let your body breathe and not leave you feeling flushed. Since you are bound to get drenched in cold water in the scorching sun, cotton will dry faster and cause less discomfort.”

Summer clothing apart, the Holi crowd would be well served by an extra intake of water in between the colour play, sip and bite.

“I recommend everyone start the day sooner rather than later to avoid heat stroke and the harsh midday sun. And then, there’s always sunscreen; SPF 15 and above should work fine should you use it at least 30-60 minutes prior to stepping out for fun. Repeat application every 2-3 hours,” dermatologist Verma advised.

The Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore attributed the change in weather to the weakening of two parallel wind systems.

“The wind systems were active till Sunday, one a trough of low pressure stretching from Assam to Uttar Pradesh and passing over Gangetic West Bengal and the other an upper-air trough stretching from Bangladesh to Odisha. These had led to clouding,” the Met office said.

Weather scientists predict that the clouds will disappear in another 24 hours as the two systems have weakened.

A Holi day in Calcutta has not been hotter than 36 degrees Celsius at least since 2003. In 2010, Holi was celebrated early — on March 1 — but it was still a warm day.

The maximum temperature on Holi has hovered between the late 20s and mid-30s over the past decade (see chart).

Interior designer Sonali Sarkar was taken aback on being hit by “a harsh, dry wind” the moment she stepped out on Monday. “It was more like what we experience at the height of summer,” she said.

Trader Ranjan Bose said his car’s AC was at full blast through the afternoon “for the first time this season”. Schoolteacher Abhishikta Aich wrapped her face in a dupatta and promised to carry her umbrella the next time she stepped out this season.

The maximum humidity was 82 per cent on Monday, one reason why people sweated less and felt the heat more. Humidity had peaked at 93 per cent on Sunday.

When Calcutta is at its muggy worst, the maximum relative humidity is around 98 per cent.

For now, those in the Holi mood couldn’t be bothered by what the weather holds.

“We started playing Holi on campus on Monday itself. It was really hot but even hotter weather can’t spoil our fun. On the contrary, we now have the perfect excuse to throw friends into the jheel,” guffawed Sraddha Chatterjee, a BEd student at Jadavpur University.