Bengal reels under cold spell; similar conditions to stay

Kolkata: Icy winds walloped most areas in West Bengal intensifying the prevailing cold conditions even as the MeT office on Sunday forecast similar conditions for the next few days.

While the western districts of the state experienced cold wave conditions, there was abnormal drop in day temperatures in some sub-Himalayan districts.

Sriniketan in Birbhum district was the coldest in the plains with minimum temperature of 5.8 degrees Celsius at 5.30 am this morning, the MeT department said.

In North Bengal, Jalpaiguri recorded the day’s maximum temperature at 13.5 degrees Celsius, 10 notches below normal, while in Coochbehar the mercury rose to 15.4 degrees Celsius, eight notches below normal.

Minimum temperatures dipped below the 10 degrees mark in most places f the state, with Asansol recording a low of 7.1 degrees Celsius, followed by Coochbehar 7.6 degrees Celsius, Burdwan 7.6 degrees Celsius and Bankura 8.4 degrees Celsius.

Kolkatans experienced a chilly Sunday with a minimum temperature of 10.6 degrees Celsius, which is three notches below normal, the MeT department said.

The weatherman has forecast cold spell to continue for the next few days and night temperatures may fall further in some areas, both in Gangetic plains and sub-Himalayan parts of West Bengal.