Another cold spell in offing

PATNA: Bihar will experience another spell of intense cold after February 5-6 as soon as the western disturbance moves away, said Patna Met office sources on Saturday. A strong Western disturbance has set over the western Himalayan region, including Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand, and hit almost the entire northern India, said IMD sources in Delhi.
The Western disturbance is an extra-tropical storm originating in the Mediterranean, bringing sudden winter rain and snow to the northwestern parts of the Indian subcontinent.
"Light to moderate rain will commence over western Himalayan region from Sunday onwards, which will become heavy to very heavy on February 4 and 5. The system, which is very strong, will hit the adjoining plains - Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, west Uttar Pradesh, west Rajasthan and parts of Bihar also," said Patna Met director Ashish Kumar Sen.
The sky will remain mainly overcast for the next two days and parts of northeast Bihar will experience rainfall. The cloud cover will increase on February 4-5, said the Met director. As regards temperature, he said that because of cloud cover and the flow of wind from south, while the day temperatures could dip by about one to two degree Celsius, the night temperature could rise by three to five degree Celsius between Sunday and Wednesday. From Thursday, however, with the eastward movement of the system, cold northwesterly winds will set in again leading to a fall in the night temperature by four to six degree Celsius. This will also bring back the wind chill in the atmosphere again. "We are expecting another spell of strong winter after February 5 once the cloud cover gives way to bright sunshine," said the Met official here on Saturday.
The rain, said Met sources, could also mean that there would be no possibility of frost conditions developing over the plains of northwest India this season.
The state agriculture department sources said the rainfall would be positive for farmers as it will help them avoid one spell of irrigation. "Farmers will stand to benefit from rain during this period as most of the horticulture crops are in flowering stage. Even it will also benefit wheat," said district agriculture officer, Patna, Nitesh Rai.
Meanwhile, Patna on Saturday recorded a minimum temperature of 11.8 degree Celsius and a maximum of around 21 degree Celsius.