The city continued to shiver on Monday as the minimum temperature fell to 9 degrees Celsius. The temperature in the city has been hovering between 10 degrees Celsius and 11 degrees Celsius but today it was the lowest of the season. Commercial establishments, which usually start bustling with activities by 8 am, opened almost two hours late today.
According to the local Meteorological department the Celsius, which is three degrees below normal, would witness more dips in the days to come. Meanwhile, the city wore a virtually deserted look in the evening with most people preferring to stay indoors.
“Since dry icy continental winds are dominating the skies and moisture content is very low in the atmosphere, we are not seeing thick dense fog which is a normal feature during winters. However the temperature will fall in the coming days,” said an official.
The minimum temperature of the city today 10 degree Celsius. The temperature is falling with every changing condition.
The officials said that similar conditions will continue to prevail in the city in the coming days. The poor people on the streets have been the worst hit by the cold wave. Footpath dwellers and the poor were seen clustering around bonfires lit from dry woods, using tyres and even garbage to beat the cold.
“The weather conditions have witnessed a sea change in the last two days. The cool breeze has left us shivering, however, we are happy that our children are closed for vacation,” said a resident of Sonari.
Meanwhile, roadside tea stalls did a brisk business all day. The number of persons visiting the Jubilee Park and Gopal Maidan for morning and evening walks had dwindled significantly on Saturday due to the biting cold.
Weathermen forecast that there will be no respite from the cold in the coming days.Significantly, both minimum and maximum temperatures were below normal all over the State. The chill in the atmosphere can even be felt during the day, despite bright sunshine.
According to the information, bright sunshine was also witnessed today afternoon, which may increase the minimum temperature by a couple of degrees in the coming days. However, no significant change is likely during the next 24 hours.