KOLKATA – A bone-chilling cold wave has descended upon West Bengal today, January 6, 2026, as the state grapples with an exceptional drop in mercury. In a historic weather event, the “City of Joy” recorded its coldest January morning in over a decade, while the northern hills of Darjeeling saw light snowfall, transforming the peaks into a winter wonderland.
Kolkata Shivers at 10.2°C
Kolkata woke up to an icy dawn today with the minimum temperature plunging to 10.2°C, according to the Alipore Regional Meteorological Centre. This is 3.7 notches below normal and marks the city’s lowest January temperature since 2013.
The chill was even more pronounced in the suburbs:
- Dum Dum: 9.5°C
- Howrah: 9.0°C
- Salt Lake: 10.4°C
Weather officials attribute this “spine-chilling” condition to the uninterrupted flow of dry, cold northwesterly winds and a persistent cloud cover that has prevented the sun from warming the surface effectively.
South Bengal: Sriniketan Emerges as the ‘Icebox’
While Kolkata is shivering, the western districts of South Bengal are facing severe “Cold Day” conditions. Sriniketan in Birbhum district was recorded as the coldest place in the plains, with the mercury hitting a biting 6.2°C.
Birbhum (Sriniketan) | 6.2°C | Severe Cold |
Asansol | 8.8°C | Cold Day Alert |
Purulia | 10.2°C | Below Normal |
Bankura | 9.9°C | Chilly Winds |
The IMD has issued a warning for dense fog in Murshidabad and Nadia, where visibility dropped below 50 meters early this morning, disrupting local transport and ferry services across the Hooghly river.
North Bengal: Snow in Darjeeling and Sandakphu
In the northern reaches, the winter has been even more dramatic. Higher altitudes including Sandakphu, Ghoom, and Chatakpur experienced light snowfall over the last 24 hours. Darjeeling town recorded a minimum of 3.2°C, with tourists flocking to the hills to catch a glimpse of the rare white blanket.
However, the beauty comes with hazards; dense fog has triggered an “Orange Alert” for the Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts, significantly slowing traffic on National Highway 10.
The Forecast: More Chill Ahead
The Met office has warned that the cold spell is far from over.
“We expect the nighttime temperatures in South Bengal to fall by another 2 degrees Celsius over Wednesday and Thursday,” said HR Biswas, head of the weather section at the Regional Meteorological Centre.
“Cold Day” conditions—where the maximum temperature stays 5 to 6 degrees below normal—are expected to persist in districts like East and West Burdwan, Bankura, and Malda for the next 48 hours.
