Brief sunshine offers relief in city as cold day conditions continue in state

Patna: The state capital and its neighbouring areas experienced a fleeting moment of relief on Monday as the sun finally pierced through the persistent blanket of fog after four days. Residents stepped out to bask in the weak winter sunlight, hoping for some warmth, but the biting chilly winds from the northwest ensured that the cold grip remained firm.

Severe cold day conditions gripped Gaya district, where visibility dropped to a mere 50 metres due to dense fog, while Nalanda, Arwal, and Jehanabad also faced cold day conditions. The lowest minimum temperature plunged to 6.6 degrees Celsius in Rajgir (Nalanda), while the highest temperature reached 22.1 degrees Celsius in Kishanganj. Maximum temperatures across the state ranged from 15 to 22.1 Celsius degrees, and minimum temperatures ranged between 6.6 and 12.7 Celsius degrees during the last 24 hours.


The minimum temperature in Patna stood at 12.5 degrees Celsius on Monday, and the maximum was at 18.9 degrees Celsius, four notches below the normal.

According to the latest daily weather bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday, dense fog and cold day conditions are expected to linger, particularly in the northwestern and north-central parts on Dec 23, extending to western and central regions from Dec 24 to 26, with some eastern areas also likely to be affected. Moderate to dense fog could shroud isolated places across the state over the next 4-5 days.

“Daytime temperatures may see a slight increase of 1-4 degrees in many places over the coming 2-3 days, providing minor relief during the day time. However, after no major change in the next 48 hours, nighttime lows are predicted to drop further by 2-4 degrees, intensifying the cold as the week progresses,” the meteorologist said.

The minimum temperature in most parts of the state will remain in the range of 8-12 degrees Celsius for the next three days, while the maximum will be in the range of 20-16 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, the flight operations at Jayprakash Narayan International Airport were smooth as the morning flights arrived at their scheduled time of 9.30am on Monday. Some flights suffered delays due to bad weather in other cities and operational challenges.

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