PATNA: The severe cold conditions in Bihar seem to be turning severer with parts of the state recording sub-4 and sub-5 degrees Celcius in the mercury column on Friday.
Patna recorded the season's lowest minimum temperature at 4.7 degrees C. It was also the lowest minimum temperature in the state capital in the month of January during the past three years.
Gaya was still colder with the minimum temperature plunging to as low as 3.8 degrees C, while Bhagalpur shivered at 4.9 degrees C on Friday morning.
According to the Patna Meteorological Centre, cold wave conditions prevail at most places in the state. In meteorological parlance, cold wave conditions prevail at a place when the normal minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or above but the actual temperature is recorded at 7 degrees C or less.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued cold wave and cold day alert for Bihar till January 9. Cold day condition is characterised by sub-10 degrees C minimum temperature and a departure of 4.5-6.4 degrees C in maximum temperature.
Dense fog covered almost the entire state on Friday with the visibility plummeting to as low as 50 metres at places like Patna, Gaya and Purnia in the early morning hours. The fog, according to the IMD, is to stay in Bihar till January 9.
Weather agencies also released satellite photographs of an unbroken layer of fog spread across more than 2,000km of the Indian subcontinent — starting from central Pakistan in the west, running right through the Indo-Gangetic plains and ending around Tripura.
Private weather agency Skymet said the fog led to intensification of winter chill across the Indo-Gangetic plains. "In the absence of any active western disturbance, chilly winds are blowing uninterruptedly across Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, UP and Bihar," the Skymet said.
The IMD has, however, predicted respite from the biting cold conditions after two days. The national weather forecasting agency's bulletin on Friday said the intensity and duration of the prevailing fog, cold day and cold wave conditions might dip during the next 48 hours due to the likely strengthening of surface winds over the Indo-Gangetic plains.
INFOTEXT
Lowest minimum temperature in January in Patna in 10 years:
Date Minimum temperature
January 5, 2018: 4.7
January 14, 2017: 4.8
January 23, 2016: 4.8
January 21, 2015: 4.5
January 16 & 21, 2014: 8.5
January 6, 2013: 2.5
January 23, 2012: 5.8
January 12, 2011: 3.7
January 13, 2010: 4.0
January 6, 2009: 6.4
