Kolkata, Dec 30 : Winter has tightened its grip on West Bengal, leaving the entire region shivering in bone-chilling cold as minimum temperatures continue to plummet.

On Tuesday, the city of Kolkata recorded the coldest day of the season, with the minimum temperature plummeting to 12.6 degrees Celsius, 1.2 degrees below normal. A day earlier, the minimum temperature was 13.5 degrees C.

Moreover, the city's maximum temperature was 18.2 degrees Celsius, 7.2 degrees below normal. According to Met officials, the unusual drop in the day's maximum temperature resulted in biting cold sustained throughout the day. According to the official, the city of Kolkata has not witnessed this type of winter spell for several years.

The official said that the temperature will largely remain the same in the coming days, with the possibility of the minimum temperature dropping further.

On Monday, the minimum temperature in Purulia dropped to 7.2 degrees Celsius, the lowest in South Bengal. The minimum temperature in the hill town of Darjeeling was 4.4 degrees Celsius. Asansol recorded 9.1 degrees, Digha 11.2, Cooch Behar 13.6, Sriniketan 7.3, Kalimpong 10, and Burdwan 9 degrees Celsius.

"The minimum night-time temperatures in Kolkata and other districts of south Bengal will remain largely unchanged for the next two days. This means the current cold spell will continue for now. After that, the minimum temperature may gradually rise by 2-3 degrees Celsius. There is no forecast of a decrease in the intensity of winter before the New Year," said the MET official.

In Kolkata, the sky will be mostly clear and cloudless. â??â??Fog may be present in some areas during morning hours. The weather office has said that dry weather will prevail throughout South Bengal for the time being. A warning for light to moderate fog has been issued across Bengal. This may reduce visibility to 200 metres.

However, the Met Office has issued a separate warning with regard to fog in north Bengal. Darjeeling, Cooch Behar, and North Dinajpur districts will experience dense fog in the next few days. Visibility may drop to between 199 metres and 50 metres. There is also a possibility of light rain and snowfall in Darjeeling from Wednesday to Friday.

/IANS