Kolkata, Nov 7 — The winter chill is likely to make a gradual entry into West Bengal as temperatures are expected to drop by two to four degrees Celsius over the next 24 hours, bringing a slight nip in the air during Kali Puja on Sunday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday.
The cooling effect is likely to be more noticeable in the western districts, particularly during the early morning and night hours. However, the weather is expected to remain dry across the state till Kali Puja.
Meanwhile, the Met department has forecast another spell of rain in both south and north Bengal from Monday, with a newly formed low-pressure area over north Bengal likely to create favourable conditions for precipitation across several districts.
"Dry weather will prevail till Kali Puja on Sunday. The weather will start changing from Monday. Rain will continue in south and north Bengal. Light to moderate rain with thundershowers is likely in Kolkata, Howrah, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, East Midnapore, Nadia and Murshidabad districts. Gusty winds of 30 to 40 km per hour are likely in coastal areas. Rain chances will increase further on Tuesday," a Met department official said.
Rain activity is expected to intensify on Tuesday and continue in several parts of south Bengal till Wednesday. Kolkata, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, East Midnapore and West Midnapore are likely to receive light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms. Other districts of south Bengal, including Nadia and Murshidabad, may also experience wet weather. Gusty winds reaching speeds of 30 to 40 kmph are likely at isolated places.
In Kolkata, the maximum temperature on Saturday hovered around 30 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature was recorded at 21.2 degrees Celsius. The Met department has ruled out rainfall in the city on Saturday and Sunday.
North Bengal, too, is likely to witness increased rainfall activity from Tuesday. Light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms is forecast across the region, with gusty winds possible at one or two places. On Wednesday, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri are likely to receive light rainfall.