The slide in the Celsius in the last lap of winter, combined with a bright and clear sky, has made the weather perfect for outdoor activities.
On Sunday, the result showed at parks and museums in and around the city. The tourist attractions were crowded throughout the day.
By noon, the Alipore zoo was so crowded that the cops posted outside had a tough time preventing the visitors from spilling on the carriageway.
A zoo official said more than 30,000 tickets were sold on Sunday.
Mahua Kulavi came to the zoo with her husband, son and mother.
Her husband works in the Indian Coast Guard and is stationed in Kolkata. The Kulavis have lived in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Kerala before coming to their hometown.
“My son (who is in Class VII) had been to Nandankanan (Zoological Park) in Bhubaneswar as a kid. But other than that, he has never been to a zoo. Since the weather is pleasant, we came here today,” said Mahua.
On the Maidan, children enjoyed rides on ponies and families on phaetons. A large number of youngsters with cameras were taking pictures or recording videos. There were couples trailed by photographers clicking pre-wedding pictures.
Here and there, families were spotted enjoying a picnic lunch or playing badminton.
Jaan Alam, a Behala resident, came with his entire family for a picnic.
“Winter is the best time in Kolkata. We thought the chill was gone. But it made a comeback and here we are,” Alam said.
February had been unusually warm, prompting people to all but bid farewell to winter. But the chill made a strong comeback two days ago.
On Sunday, the Met office recorded a minimum temperature of 14.9 degrees, three notches below normal, in Alipore. At 26.9 degrees, the maximum was also a couple of notches below normal.
But the northwesterly winds are weakening in Kolkata, said a Met official. The Celsius is set to rise now. On Monday, the minimum temperature is likely to rise by a couple of degrees, according to the forecast.
Some “thunderstorm activity” is expected later this week. The western districts are likely to get rain on February 14. Kolkata is more likely to get rain on February 15, said the Met official.
Looking at the Sunday sky, one would not have any inkling.
Around 1.30pm, a serpentine queue waited to enter the Victoria Memorial. The marble monument looked majestic under the sunlit sky.
Eco Park had a steady stream of visitors. By 3.30pm, all the parking slots of the park were full.
Outside the park, the traffic police were seen trying to keep vehicles moving on both flanks — one for Salt Lake-bound vehicles and the other for vehicles headed for the airport — of the Major Arterial Road in New Town.
Inside the park, boat rides were a major draw. Food stalls, too, did brisk business throughout the day.
Nicco Park, too, was crowded throughout the day.
Rides such as the roller-coaster, Striking Cars, Sky Launcher and the Toy Train were the top favourites
Annesha Dasgupta visited Nicco Park on Sunday with her eight-year-old son.
“This was his long-standing demand. We decided to go to Nicco Park as this is possibly the last chance this winter to indulge in outdoor activities,” said Dasgupta, who stays in Lake Town.
