Kolkata shivers with mercury dropping to a historic low at 10.2°C

Kolkata is currently witnessing an intense winter spell as the mercury plummeted to a historic low this Tuesday. After a brief period of slight fluctuation at the start of the year, the minimum temperature in the city touched 10.2 degrees Celsius. This sudden drop has sent shivers across the city, making it the coldest day Kolkata has experienced in over a decade.

According to the Alipore Meteorological Department, this is a record-breaking event for the city. The last time the temperature saw such a significant dip was on January 9, 2013, when it hit 9 degrees Celsius. Since then, the winter temperatures usually hovered around the 11 to 13-degree mark, even during the peak of the season. Tuesday's reading of 10.2 degrees Celsius marks a rare occurrence for the metropolitan.

The cold wave is being attributed to the steady flow of north-westerly winds that are sweeping across the plains. Not just Kolkata, but various districts of South Bengal are also reeling under severe cold conditions. The sudden chill has forced citizens to take out their heaviest woolens, and life in the early morning hours has slowed down significantly due to the biting cold and patchy fog.