Has the MeT Office Issued a Fog Alert Across Bengal Due to Falling Temperatures?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Kolkata's temperature has dropped to 14 degrees Celsius.
- Fog alert issued for West Bengal, particularly southern districts.
- Visibility could decrease significantly.
- Prime Minister Modi's public meeting was affected by the fog.
- Temperature fluctuations are expected around Christmas.
Kolkata, Dec 21 (NationPress) As temperatures have plunged to approximately 14 degrees Celsius in and around Kolkata, the Meteorological (MeT) office has issued a fog alert for West Bengal, particularly affecting the southern districts, over the next 24 hours.
The Regional Meteorological Centre located in Alipore, Kolkata, indicated a likelihood of light to moderate fog across all districts of North and South Bengal both on Sunday and Monday morning. This fog could reduce visibility to between 999 and 200 metres. The fog is expected to dissipate by Monday afternoon.
According to a MeT Department official, conditions are favorable for dense fog throughout the state, especially in South Bengal. Once the fog lifts, temperatures will see a slight increase. However, another drop in temperature is anticipated once the weather clears.
It is noteworthy that due to the dense fog, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s helicopter was unable to land in the Taherpur area of Nadia district on Saturday, where he was scheduled to conduct a public meeting. Subsequently, he addressed the gathering virtually from the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata.
In addition, Kolkata's minimum temperature fell to 14.4 degrees Celsius on Sunday, marking it as the coldest day of the winter season so far. This coincided with a significant fog cover over Kolkata and several districts in South Bengal during the morning hours.
Up until mid-December, there had been little indication of a genuine winter chill in Kolkata, with minimum temperatures hovering around 15-16 degrees Celsius. However, the situation shifted on Saturday, as residents experienced the cold bite of north-easterly winds throughout the day. Meteorologists indicated that there wouldn’t be a sudden drop in temperature but anticipated a slight increase as the fog clears, with potential drops again around Christmas.
On Saturday, Kolkata's minimum temperature was 16.2 degrees Celsius, which means a decrease of nearly 2 degrees by Sunday morning. Other districts in the state also reported a drop in temperatures. On Sunday morning, Kolkata experienced a minimum temperature of 14.4 degrees Celsius, which is 0.7 degrees below normal. The maximum temperature recorded in Kolkata on Saturday was 20.7 degrees Celsius, which is 5.4 degrees below normal.