Purulia district in southern West Bengal experienced an unexpected cold wave on Tuesday, with temperatures plummeting to 12.1 degrees Celsius, surpassing the hill station Kalimpong’s 14.3 degrees Celsius. This rare phenomenon has made Purulia the coldest region in the state, while other districts in southern West Bengal also reported a significant drop in temperatures. Sriniketan recorded 13 degrees, Jhargram 14 degrees, and Burdwan 15 degrees Celsius.
In contrast, northern West Bengal districts like Jalpaiguri (16.9°C), Alipurduar (17.0°C), Cooch Behar (15.7°C), Raiganj (17.5°C), and Malda (20.2°C) are experiencing milder weather. However, dense fog has engulfed both South and North Bengal, severely reducing visibility to 50-200 meters in districts such as Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Malda North, and Dinajpur South. The Alipore Meteorological Department has issued warnings about the foggy conditions.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a further decline in temperatures across Gangetic West Bengal, with western districts being most affected. Meanwhile, Kolkata is witnessing cooler weather with night temperatures dipping to 18 degrees Celsius and daytime highs at 27.5 degrees Celsius. The city is expected to remain clear and dry for the next six days, though light fog may appear in the mornings.
A cyclone brewing over south Bangladesh could influence regional weather patterns, though no immediate threat of rain or thunderstorms has been reported. The IMD continues to monitor the situation closely.