Severe cold, thick fog disrupt life across state

Patna: Severe winter conditions continue to grip state as the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Patna, on Tuesday forecast persistent dense fog and a cold day outlook for the next 48 hours. The weather office said minimum temperatures across the state were likely to fall further by 2-4 degrees Celsius from Wednesday, intensifying the cold spell already being felt in most districts.

While maximum temperatures may witness a marginal rise of 1-4 degrees Celsius over the next 24 hours, the IMD warned that the inflow of colder northwesterly winds would sharply increase the chill factor, particularly during early morning and late evening hours, with conditions expected to persist till Dec 26.


According to the IMD bulletin, a cold day warning is currently in effect for several northern, southwestern and south-central districts, including Muzaffarpur, West Champaran, Siwan and Rohtas. In addition, dense fog alerts have been issued for southeastern districts such as Bhagalpur, Munger and Jamui, where visibility is expected to remain severely reduced during morning hours.

From Wednesday to Friday, these warnings are likely to extend to almost the entire state. Districts including Gaya, Patna, Darbhanga and Samastipur are expected to experience the most severe impact, with sharp drops in night temperatures and prolonged spells of dense fog affecting visibility and daily life.

In the last 24 hours on Tuesday, Patna recorded a minimum temperature of 11 degrees Celsius, while the maximum temperature in the state capital settled at 14.5 degrees Celsius, keeping conditions cold throughout the day.

Gaya reported the lowest minimum temperature in the state at 7.8 degrees Celsius. Rajgir in Nalanda recorded Bihar’s highest maximum temperature at 21.2 degrees Celsius, but still experienced severe cold day conditions, with visibility plunging to just 50 metres due to dense fog. Similar cold day conditions were reported from Nalanda and Sheikhpura, while dense fog continued to affect several south Bihar districts, including Patna, Jehanabad and Bhagalpur.

PATCH

Schools shut for students up to Class VIII in city

Patna district administration on Tuesday prohibited all private and govt schools, pre-schools and anganwadi centres from conducting academic activities for students up to Class VIII till Dec 26. For classes IX and above, academic may continue between 10am and 3.30pm, provided precautions are followed. Special classes or examinations for pre-board and board exams are exempt from these restrictions. TNN

Get an chance to win ₹5000 Amazon Voucher by taking part in India's Biggest Habit Index! Take the survey here

Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Merry Christmas wishes, messages and quotes !