Calcuttans made the most of what little remained of winter on Sunday.

Alipore Zoo, the Birla Industrial and Technological Museum (BITM) and Victoria Memorial remained crowded throughout the day. Peak noon was still hot. However, the rest of the day was pleasant and the evening still nippy.

The minimum temperature was 14.5 degrees in Alipore, more than two degrees colder than normal. The maximum was 27.7 degrees, almost normal.

Monday’s projected minimum is around 15 degrees. As the week moves on, the nights will get warmer. A fresh Western Disturbance is tipped to affect the northwestern parts of India from Monday.

An all-India bulletin issued by the Met office has discounted “significant changes in the minimum temperature” in eastern India for two to three days. After that, the minimum will rise by “two to three degrees,” it said.

By around 2pm on Sunday, most shaded areas inside Alipore Zoo were occupied as families sought shelter from the afternoon sun.

Visitors settled under trees for lunch while children played cricket on the lawns.

Nisha Jhunjhunwala, 65, who visited the zoo with her family from Ballygunge, said the outing was particularly enriching for her young grandchildren.

“Both my granddaughters were very happy seeing elephants, giraffes and tigers.

They mostly learn about animals through books or the internet, but seeing them in real life makes it more exciting,” she said.

Ice-cream stalls also saw steady business on Sunday. A vendor near the ticket counter said that sales had improved as the days got warmer after a prolonged winter chill.

The enclosures of the white tiger, giraffe and elephant drew the largest crowds on Sunday.

At 12.43pm, the Birla Industrial and Technological Museum was buzzing with young visitors exploring interactive exhibits and science galleries.

Rakhi Ghosh, 35, who visited BITM with her four-year-old daughter for the first time, said: “This is a great place for children as there is so much to learn from the different galleries.”

Raghav Jha, who came with his wife and 10-year-old son, said his child was fascinated by a model demonstrating ocean depth.

“These are the last few days when we can comfortably step out. Once summer begins, it becomes difficult to remain outdoors with children. My son is very fascinated by the model which demonstrates the ocean depth. This is very engaging for the children to learn with fun,” said Jha, who came from Garia.

The Victoria Memorial was also crowded on Sunday. By 2pm, long queues had formed at the ticket counters as visitors waited patiently to enter the landmark. Many said they wanted to enjoy the pleasant weather before summer arrived.

Pawan Parihar, 36, an army personnel from Fort William who visited with friends, said: “These are the last few days when we can make the most of the weather.”

Swati Kundu from Dhakuria said Victoria was the first stop on her family’s Sunday outing.

“We will be heading to Eco Park with our relatives, as they have come from Hyderabad. We are taking them around on a tour today,” she said.