PATNA: Biting cold swept most parts of the state even as cold day conditions were declared in Patna, Gaya, Saran, East Champaran, Darbhanga and Muzaffarpur on Tuesday. Any major respite from the icy weather is unlikely as Patna Meteorological Centre has issued forecast for cold wave in different parts of the state over the next three days as well.
India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its all India bulletin issued on Tuesday evening, also stated that cold day to severe cold day conditions would prevail in some parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar over the next three days.
As per India Meteorological Department (IMD), cold day condition is declared when minimum temperature touches 10 degrees C or low and there is a departure of 4.5-6.4 degrees C in maximum temperature on two consecutive days.
The minimum temperature in Patna on Tuesday was recorded at 8.4 degrees C and maximum at 16.2 degrees C, six notches lower than normal for the day.
The Patna Meteorological Centre said cold day condition would be witnessed in northwest, southwest and south-central parts of the state, including Patna, over the next three days.
“Cold north-westerly and westerly winds are blowing in the region, which is likely to lead to cold day conditions at a few places in western and southern parts of the state,” said Rajesh Kumar, a meteorologist at Patna Meteorological Centre.
He added minimum temperature at most places in the state remained lower than 10 degrees C on Tuesday. Gaya was the coldest place in the state on Tuesday morning with a minimum temperature of 5.1 degrees C. Other places which reported considerably lower minimum temperature included Chhapra (6.4 degrees C), Siwan (6.4 degrees C), Buxar (7.6 degrees C), Nawada (7.5 degrees C) and Nalanda (7.9 degrees C).
The average minimum temperature in the state was in the range of 6-8 degrees C, and maximum temperature in the range of 16-18 degrees C. The highest maximum temperature was recorded in Banka at 20.9 degrees C. The IMD has also stated that dense fog would be witnessed at night and morning hours at isolated pockets in Bihar over the next two days. Moderate to dense fog cover was witnessed at some places in the state on Tuesday as well.
Cold apart, light rainfall is also expected at isolated places in northwest, and few places in southwest and south-central Bihar on January 22.
