West Bengal is heading into the final days of the year with contrasting weather conditions, including biting cold in the hills, dense fog across several districts, and the possibility of snowfall in higher elevations of north Bengal.
Early morning observations on Sunday indicated a sharp drop in temperatures, with Darjeeling recording a minimum of 3.8°C. In the plains, Bankura emerged as the coldest location at 9°C. At present, dry weather dominates most parts of the state, although atmospheric systems over north Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal are subtly influencing local weather patterns.
Meteorologists have forecast light rainfall or snowfall at isolated locations in the higher reaches of Darjeeling over the coming days. Parts of Kalimpong and Alipurduar may also experience light rain around the start of the new year. In contrast, south Bengal is expected to remain dry through the first week of January.
Dense fog continues to be a major concern, especially during early morning hours. Visibility in some areas could drop to as low as 50–199 metres. North Bengal districts such as Uttar Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar are likely to be affected, along with several south Bengal districts including North and South 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur. These foggy conditions are expected to persist until January 3.
Kolkata recorded a minimum temperature of around 14°C on Sunday.
Looking ahead, the Regional Meteorological Centre in Kolkata said that minimum temperatures in north Bengal are likely to remain largely unchanged over the next week. In south Bengal, temperatures are expected to stay steady for the next couple of days before rising gradually by 2–3°C over the following three days, after which they are likely to stabilise.
The weather department has warned that dense fog could disrupt air, rail and road transport, urging commuters to exercise caution during early morning travel and stay updated on possible delays.
