KOLKATA, 22 DEC: The city today experienced the second coldest day in the past 20 years with the mercury dipping to 10.8 degree Celsius. In the past 20 years, the minimum temperatures had dipped below 11 degrees Celsius only twice with 10.5 degrees Celsius on 30 December 1991 and 10.8 degrees Celsius on 28 December 2008. Regional Met. officials, however, predicted that the temperatures would rise in the next 48 hours. Eight more persons were killed in cold wave today with six succumbing in Malda and two in Burdwan. The death toll in the state now stands at 14 in the past 36 hours. Manoj Rajwar (26), a CISF jawan died last night on his way home after his duty at SAIL’s Kulti Growth Division. He died after a sudden cardiac arrest. The physicians, after an inquest today said he was a victim of cold wave. Another youth ~ Sanjoy Das (45) was found dead in Tildang crossing in the Budbud area on NH-2 last night as well and police said that he was another victim of the coldwave conditions. Mercury dropped to 5.5 degree Celsius in Jharkhand bordering areas in Asansol like Rupnarayanpur, Chittaranjan and neighbouring Kulti last night. The rural and urban patches like Panagarh, Budbud also recorded a minimum temperature of 6 degree Celsius yesterday evening. According to officials of Regional Met Office, winters would be less severe for the next two days with advancement of western disturbance prevailing over the northwestern states of the country. Along with the western disturbance, the flow of the northerly winds is also getting weaker. Due to this dual effect, the temperature in the state would rise a little and would be stable for the next two-three days. However, the relief would be short-lived, as when the western disturbance crosses the state, the nip in the air would be back. Even though severity of the cold was felt less in the city, cold wave conditions persisted at a few places in the districts of Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri in the Sub Himalayan West Bengal and it prevailed at isolated places in the districts of Bankura, Birbhum, Nadia, Murshidabad, Purulia and Burdwan. The maximum temperature in the city was recorded at 22.7 degree Celsius today.