The mercury, tipped to drop below 10 degrees Celsius on Friday, settled at more than a notch higher because winds from Bangladesh have been entering the city since Thursday evening and reducing the intensity of cold winds from northern India.
The Christmas forecast is gloomy. The city is likely to remain cloudy on December 24 and 25 and could get light rain on December 26.
The Alipore Met office recorded a minimum temperature of 11.7 degrees on Thursday, three notches below normal. Going by the intensity of the cold winds from northern India, the Met office predicted that Friday’s minimum would be around 10 degrees.
The winds from Bangladesh, however, did not allow the mercury to fall below 11.6 degrees.
“The easterly winds have been blowing across the city since Thursday evening, reducing the intensity of the cold northwesterlies. That prevented the mercury from touching 10 degrees,” said G.K. Das, the director of India Meteorological Department, Calcutta.
The northwesterlies were blowing at 20kmph on Thursday morning. At night, the speed came down to 10kmph.
The Celsius is set to hover between 11 and 12 degrees till Sunday, after which it is likely to rise and stay between 14 and 15 degrees for a few days.
