The fans had to be switched on, and those on the streets sweated after walking a while: Monday afternoon was hot and a reminder that winter is on its way out.
The minimum temperature, recorded early on Monday, was 15.6 degrees Celsius, 0.9 degrees above normal. The maximum temperature, recorded in the afternoon, was 27.2 degrees Celsius, 1.4 degrees above normal.
The Alipore Met Office said the mercury can move up a degree or two towards the end of the month when a western disturbance, now hovering above Pakistan, makes its way to eastern India.
"I went to Gariahat for some shopping around noon. It was really hot. I sweated after walking for a brief while. The sun served as a reminder of the days to come," said a woman from Jadavpur.
A man who drove to Salt Lake from Kasba said he had the car's air-conditioner set at a notch below full blast. "The sun was scorching as I drove along EM Bypass," he said.
What particularly foxed many was that the mornings still had a nip in the air, but it was very warm by noon.
An official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Calcutta said there was no significant deviation in the maximum and minimum temperatures from what is recorded during this time of the year.
With days getting longer, the sun is shining longer. As a result, the earth's surface is getting heated more than before. The day temperature has been in the range of 25 to 27 degrees Celsius for the past few days.
The wide gap between the morning and afternoon temperatures is making the afternoons feel particularly hot.
On Saturday, there was an over 11-degree difference between the minimum and maximum temperatures.
At the peak of winter this season, the minimum temperature stayed between 10 and 12 degrees Celsius on many days. The maximum temperature remained in the range of 20 degrees, which was several notches below normal, calculated on the basis of a 30-year average.
The experience of a prolonged lower-than-usual temperature for a good part of the winter is also making the end of January feel hot.
