Calcutta has been almost summer-like in the last two or three days but the weatherman has held out hope for a return of the chill by Thursday.
The mercury had dipped as low as 17.9 degrees Celsius in Calcutta on Friday, two notches below normal, before a depression over the Bay of Bengal led to a cloud cover that sent temperatures shooting up over the weekend.
"The sky will clear up and and the temperature will gradually decrease over the next 48 hours. By Thursday, the minimum would dip below 19 degrees Celsius," said Gokul Chandra Debnath, the director of the Regional Meteorological Centre at Alipore.
The temperatures in the city started climbing from Saturday. The minimum rose by 5.4 degrees Celsius in four days to reach 23.3 on Tuesday, the highest in the last fortnight. The maximum went up by three degrees to 32 on Sunday and Monday. On May 20, 2011, the minimum was 19.7 degrees.
"Only a few days ago, I felt a chill, especially on the Bypass, while returning home at night. But suddenly all that changed. The wind is gone and at times it feels like summer," said Hiland Park resident Arijita Das, 24.
"With the sky clearing the days will be hotter. It won't be sultry though because of lack of moisture in the air. That heat would escape quickly after sundown in the absence of clouds. The chill will be felt as there will be no moisture to stall the cold northwesterly wind," said a weather scientist.
Law officer
Kalyan Prakash Pathak has been appointed additional solicitor-general of eastern India. He will represent the Centre in all major cases in the high courts of eastern India. Pathak replaces Farooque M. Rezzak.