Monsoon bids adieu

Sumati Yengkhom | TNN | Oct 16, 2016, KOLKATA: The South west monsoon has bid adieu to the city, competing its withdrawn from state. The nip in the air is in. Winds from the snow laden Himalayas have started blowing into the city. The mercury too has already started dropping. Could these be signs of an early winter? Met office is keeping its fingers crossed as in case no significant weather system develops over the Bay of Bengal, the mercury will start dipping gradually.
The minimum temperature on Sunday at 23.4 degree Celsius has been one of the lowest for this particular date in the past six years. Already two degrees down from the normal mark, the mercury on Sunday however was 0.1 degree higher that October 16,2012. With the sky expected to remain clear of cloud, the night temperature will be below the normal mark for now.
"The monsoon has retreated from the city completing its withdrawal process from the entire state on Sunday. Monsoon is over now. We are expecting bright sun free from cloud from now onwards," said GK Das, director (weather) at Regional Meteorological Centre Kolkata.
The wind started changing direction about five days ago. The moisture laden southerly wind has now been replaced by gust of dry Northerly wind. As a result the relative humidity is going down. Along with a clear sky and the breeze from the Himalayas has facilitated the drop in the night temperature.
Since the past five days no system has developed over the Bay that would intervene with the withdrawal of the monsoon. But the Met office is keeping a close watch for any kind of weather system being developed over the Bay of Bengal as such system might interrupt gradual decline in the mercury.
"For now the night temperature will remain below the normal mark. But this being season for cyclones, one might just strike any day. In such a case, it will ultimately intervene with the gradual process of winter's arrival," said Das.